Romeo Santos sues BDO for alleged accounting malpractice

Latin music artist Romeo Santos has filed a lawsuit in Miami federal court against BDO, alleging professional malpractice and gross negligence that resulted in losses exceeding $2.3 million.

Santos claims the firm, which he originally hired in 2016 as Morrison Brown Argiz & Farra LLP before its acquisition by BDO, failed to manage his complex multi-state tax returns accurately. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges the firm incorrectly categorized him as a full-year non-resident of New York, triggering an audit. The complaint describes the tax filings as “incoherent,” asserting they improperly apportioned W-2 income to the state without proper documentation.

Beyond tax errors, the lawsuit alleges financial mismanagement including the purchase of unnecessary duplicate workers’ compensation insurance, failure to utilize more cost-effective SAG-AFTRA health coverage, failure to contribute to his IRA, and unauthorized debits from his account following the termination of services. Santos is seeking a jury trial to recover damages for tax penalties, interest, and lost value from mismanaged accounts.