National Tax Service Launches Investigation Of Over 100 High-Income Earners For Tax Evasion Suspicions

On October 16, the National Tax Service revealed that they have launched a country-wide investigation of 122 high-income earners who are under suspicion of evading taxes.

They will investigate people from a wide range of fields that include booming businesses and those that have recently been in the spotlight. The National Tax Service explained that they chose the subjects of investigation based on different methods for different types of high-income earners. The methods were drafted while taking the characteristics of each type of earner into consideration from a variety of angles.

Included in the 122 subjects are 54 people who are wealthy and self-employed including celebrities, YouTubers, social media influencers, and owners of popular restaurants as well as suspected tax evaders that are representative of their fields including doctors. Another 40 people are business operators who are suspected of evading taxes with help from professionals such as accountants. The remaining 28 people are those who enjoy extravagant lifestyles whose wealth accumulation cannot be explained by the income filed on their taxes.

For example, one unidentified celebrity was investigated for failing to report on ticket sales from domestic fan meetings, which they received through accounts that were established using the names of their parents. In addition, the celebrity received deductions for money spent on private matters such as meals and leasing luxury cars. They also reportedly omitted income by paying their relative for labor, even though they did not actually work for them. As a result, the National Tax Service charged the celebrity additional taxes for failing to state the correct amount of income.

The National Tax Service stated, “We plan to not only carry out a strict investigation of the subjects, but also maximize the effectiveness of tax investigation by figuring out ways to make sure that taxes are claimed by the government in each stage of investigation, so that taxes that are imposed on the subjects are actually collected.”

They continued, “The National Tax Service will continue to minimize the burdens of investigation that are put on the majority of citizens who engage in healthy economical activities and diligently pay their taxes, while continuing to take strict measures against high-income earners who hinder the culture of tax payment by evading taxes.”

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