Art dealer faces economic crime charges at Kanta-Häme District Court in Finland

A long-standing art dealer is facing multiple economic crime charges at the Kanta-Häme District Court. The dealer allegedly failed to remit over €12,000 in resale royalties owed to artists via Kuvasto ry between 2012 and 2022. According to the complaint, the dealer also neglected tax payments totaling over €53,000 in income and value-added taxes, and did not maintain proper accounting records from 2013 to 2021.

Charges against the dealer include embezzlement, severe tax fraud, and serious accounting violations. The prosecution is seeking a minimum sentence of one year and two months in prison, suspended.

In his written response, the art dealer denies the embezzlement charge, citing ignorance and a lack of intent. However, he admits to committing tax fraud and accounting violations, but contends they do not rise to the level of severity alleged. The dealer claims that the accounting has since been completed and that income from art sales has been minimal.

An inspector from the Copyright Information and Monitoring Center visited a sales exhibition organized by the dealer in the summer of 2018. Later, in November, Kuvasto purchased a piece of art from the dealer for €450 but did not receive notification of the sale or the corresponding resale royalty.

In his response, the dealer criticized the undercover purchase and questioned why Kuvasto did not reach out to him to clarify the sales. He claimed he had never heard of Kuvasto before, asserting he does not own a computer, smartphone, or any IT skills necessary to obtain information about resale royalties.

A ruling on the case will be issued by the Kanta-Häme District Court on November 14.