China Fines 4 Internet Celebrities $1.9 Million for E-commerce Tax Evasion
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · Jul 10
China Fines 4 Internet Celebrities $1.9 Million for E-commerce Tax Evasion
2 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · Jul 10
Summary
13.3 million yuan in fines and late-payment fees was imposed on four Chinese internet celebrities after authorities found they paid almost no tax despite large livestream sales and fan donations.
Xinhua said the penalties came on top of unpaid taxes, with officials citing very low tax declarations from streamers who had millions of followers and high sales volumes.
Seven cases were disclosed across Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang; the other three involved online stores, including one with annual revenue above 100 million yuan.
China’s tax bureaus can increasingly track payroll through computer systems, but income from livestreamers and celebrity-linked e-commerce shops remains harder to capture.