U2 guitarist The Edge rejects ‘tax evasion’ accusation

U2 are not tax evaders, collectively or individually, according to guitarist The Edge.

Following protests at Glastonbury over the band’s tax affairs, U2 have responded to the accusations of being ‘tax cheats’.

The band moved part of their business operation to Holland in the past decade, leading to some accusing the band of tax evasion.

The Edge, real name David Evans responded in a letter to US newspaper The Baltimore Sun.

The guitarist stated that the repeated accusations against the band could be considered ‘potentially libelous.’

The response came about after a US Federal Worker, Simon Moroney criticised the band’s financial affairs in a letter to the publication on July 7th.

Moroney singled out Maryland Senator Benjamin Cardin for his support of ONE, U2 singer Bono’s anti-poverty campaign.

The Baltimore resident wrote the U2 frontman ‘Exemplifies the worst characteristics of Wall St. both for excess and tax evasion.’

In reply, The Edge wrote, ‘For the record, U2 and the individual band members have a totally clean record with every jurisdiction to which they are required to pay tax and have never been or ever will be involved in tax evasion.’

The guitarist went to on to state, ‘U2 and its members have paid many, many millions of dollars to the United States I.R.S. (Internal Revenue Service) over the years.’

The Irish rockers’ were targeted by protest group Art Uncut during their Friday night headline slot at Glastonbury last month.

Scuffles broke out in the front rows of the crowd when the group inflated a giant balloon with the message ‘U Pay Your Tax 2’ on it.

The band are presently on the North American leg of their sell-out 360 world tour.