# Deloitte helped falsify documents to evade tax on Abramovich's wealth > BBC finds Deloitte aided tax evasion scheme for Roman Abramovich's $672m assets. - Title: Deloitte helped falsify documents to evade tax on… - Summary: BBC finds Deloitte aided tax evasion scheme for Roman Abramovich's $672m assets. Deloitte Cyprus helped falsify documents to hide $672m of Roman Abramovich's… - Keywords: deloitte, roman abramovich, cyprus, tax evasion, meritservus, bvi, cyprus confidential, accountancy, oligarch, financial services, technology, startups - Source: BBC News — https://bbc.com/news/articles/c64g1l5389kvo - Published: 2026-10-12T05:00:52.015+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: deloitte, roman abramovich, cyprus, tax evasion, meritservus, bvi, cyprus confidential, accountancy, oligarch, financial services, technology, startups ## BBC Panorama finds Deloitte helped falsify documents BBC Panorama has found the world's biggest accountancy firm helped falsify documents to hide Roman Abramovich's wealth and evade tax. ## Assets vanished from company accounts Accounts signed off by Deloitte in Cyprus meant $672m in superyachts, mansions and private jets vanished from Abramovich's company accounts. ## Deloitte advised tax evasion scheme Deloitte also appears to have advised on a scheme to evade a huge tax bill through falsification of documents. ## Barrister calls it blatant tax evasion Barrister Andrew Mitchell KC said the scheme was 'straightforward' tax evasion and 'it couldn't be more blatant'. > it couldn't be more blatant ## Abramovich denies tax evasion Roman Abramovich's lawyers said he denies evading tax or concealing his fortune and that Panorama provided no evidence he knew about or directed the falsification. ## Deloitte Cyprus claims compliance Deloitte Cyprus said it 'acts in compliance with applicable laws' regarding the tax evasion scheme. > acts in compliance with applicable laws ## Abramovich's assets frozen in Jersey £5.4bn of Abramovich's assets remain frozen in Jersey after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and a four-year criminal investigation. ## Leaked documents reveal offshore scheme Leaked documents include thousands of files about Abramovich's finances and offshore companies administered from Cyprus between 1995 and 2022. ## MeritServus managed offshore companies MeritServus, a corporate services firm in Limassol, Cyprus, managed Abramovich's offshore companies until 2005 when Deloitte owned it. ## Backdated documents hid assets Deloitte backdated documents to make it look like $672m in assets were transferred to a British Virgin Islands company in 2003. ## Assets disappeared from accounts When Deloitte signed off the 2003 accounts in 2006, the homes, planes and yachts vanished from company accounts leaving only $75,000. ## Tax evasion scheme for Kravin Investments Kravin Investments had almost $2bn in the bank in 2003 but backdated documents made it look like it held no income to avoid tax. ## Electus Investments scheme Electus Investments in Cyprus was backdated to show it held $10bn in assets from 2003, making it appear to have only $145,000. ## Experts call it a professional scandal Lord Sikka called the backdating of documents a 'violation of a statutory duty' and 'pretty scandalous' for misrepresenting transaction dates. > pretty scandalous ## Abramovich's lawyers defend advice Abramovich's lawyers said he was 'not involved in the day-to-day operation' and that reliance on professional advice was 'entirely proper and legitimate'. > entirely proper and legitimate ## Key takeaway Deloitte Cyprus helped falsify documents to hide $672m of Roman Abramovich's assets from tax authorities.