Sotheby’s helped more rich clients dodge sales tax, claims NY attorney general

The state’s 2020 lawsuit against Sotheby’s has expanded to include seven additional collectors and numerous Sotheby’s employees from across the organisation

New York's attorney general Letitia James said that documents recently handed over to state investigators revealed the alleged tax dodge by the shipping executive was 'only the tip of the iceberg'. Picture: Richard Drew/PA

An alleged effort by Sotheby’s to help wealthy art collectors avoid paying sales tax on purchases for their homes was “far more extensive and serious than previously known”, New York’s attorney general has said.

The state’s 2020 lawsuit against Sotheby’s for allegedly helping a wealthy shipping executive use a false resale certificate to dodge taxes has expanded to include seven additional collectors and numerous Sotheby’s employees from across the organisation, including its tax department, New York attorney general Letitia James said in a filing in Manhattan.