STOCKHOLM, Sweden, April 28 (UPI) -- The Swedish government has charged Abba star Bjorn Ulvaeus with failing to pay 87 million kronor ($11.8 million) in taxes on his songs and musicals.
The government accused Ulvaeus of understating his royalties from 1999 to 2003 and demanded he repay the money, the BBC reported Friday. The government also claimed he hid his assets by setting up offshore accounts.
In addition to the 370 million Abba records sold worldwide, Ulvaeus also co-wrote the hit musical, "Mamma Mia," which is reportedly being made into a Hollywood film.
Ulvaeus' attorney denied the charges and said there was merely a misunderstanding over the musician's tax arrangements.
"We are pretty convinced we will win this," attorney Sven Rygaard told the Dagens Nyheter newspaper. "We will explain to the tax authority how this was done. I don't think they have managed to understand how this has worked."
