[The Epoch Times, March 3, 2023](Compiled and reported by Epoch Times reporter Le Huixuan) Recently, well-known Korean stars such as Lee Byung-hun, Kwon Sang-woo, Kim Tae-hee, and Lee Min-ho have paid back hundreds of millions of won after conducting irregular tax investigations. After the news of the gold collection spread, it caused heated discussions in South Korea. In the case of suspected tax evasion, all the stars have denied this, saying that they voluntarily paid the levy.
On February 9, KBS TV News reported that the National Tax Service of South Korea launched a tax investigation on 84 high-income businessmen suspected of tax evasion, including entertainers, athletes, web comic writers, YouTubers, Internet celebrities, etc.
Lee Byung Hun may be related to real estate investment
The first artist to be named is actor Lee Byung Hun. On February 28, according to “Asian Economics”, in September last year, Lee Byung Hun and his company BH Entertainment accepted the tax investigation of the National Tax Service and were chased for hundreds of millions of won in taxes.
It is reported that after Li Bingxian purchased a 10-story building in Yangpyeong-dong, Seoul in 2018 using individuals and legal entities, he sold it in 2021 and made a profit of about 10 billion won (about 7.615 million US dollars / 233 million Taiwan dollars). However, the shares in the company are all owned by Li Bingxian. If he buys a house in his own name, he will be taxed 45%. If he buys a house with a legal person company, he only needs to pay a maximum of 25%. Therefore, Li Bingxian is suspected of setting up a real estate leasing legal person for tax evasion.
In this regard, the brokerage company stated that in the past 30 years, Lee Byung Hun has never had any disgraceful things related to taxes. Tax.
In 2020, Lee Byung Hun had donated part of the salary for the filmed commercials as a donation to improve the new crown pneumonia (CCP virus) epidemic. The above-mentioned amount was wrong in the accounting settlement process, so he was criticized, and emphasized that Lee Byung Hun accepted the audit honestly , there is no problem of tax evasion at all.
Kwon Sang-woo denies suspicion of tax evasion by buying imported cars
On the 28th, Kwon Sang-woo was also reported to have paid 1 billion won (approximately US$761,500 / NT$23,332,700) in fines. After this incident was spread, the brokerage company once again denied the suspicion of tax evasion by purchasing legal person vehicles.
On March 3, Kwon Sang-woo’s agency, SU Company, issued an official statement saying: “The report that actor Kwon Sang-woo “purchased 5 corporate-owned supercars worth hundreds of millions of won for tax evasion” is obviously not true. At the time of the tax investigation, SU Company The vehicles owned by the company legal person include 1 domestic SUV and sedan, and 1 imported SUV and sedan. There are 4 vehicles in total. These are business vehicles to and from the shooting scene. In the tax investigation, they are identified as business legal person vehicles, so Tell me there is no problem.”
The agency said in a statement: “Therefore, the report that ‘the vehicle in question was sold’ is not true. After the tax investigation, it was used as a corporate vehicle for a period of time, and then an imported car was sold as needed. “
The brokerage company also stated: “Kwon Sang-woo has always paid taxes honestly. During the tax investigation in 2020, the tax authorities asked for an explanation of the attribution time of profits and losses. There were differences in the attribution time of some parts. After the revised declaration, he voluntarily paid taxes. It is not tax evasion or tax evasion. , but the payment and refund occurred at the same time, so a correction report was made.”
Kim Tae-hee rebuts endorsement fee payment delay
On March 1, according to Korean media reports, Kim Tae Hee was recovered hundreds of millions of won in taxes after undergoing a tax investigation. Recently, after Kim Tae-hee’s tax evasion suspicion surfaced, his agency Story J Company immediately refuted it, saying that in the past few years, Kim Tae-hee has been honestly paying taxes in accordance with the laws of the tax authorities. taxes. The tax investigation also explained that this was due to the delay in the remittance of the advertising endorsement fee that the client needs to pay when the agency contract between Kim Tae Hee and LUA Entertainment expires.
LUA Entertainment is an entertainment agency established and operated by Kim Tae Hee’s sister Kim and other family members. As of 2019, Kim Tae Hee has been active as an actor for 10 years.
Story J Company said: “At the time when the old and new management companies are changing, the endorsement fee that was supposed to be remitted to the former management company was remitted to Kim Tae Hee personally after the expiration of the management contract.”
Then he emphasized: “Although the former management company and Kim Tae Hee himself also declared the sales tax and paid the tax truthfully. But because it is not the former management company legal person, but the actor’s personal income, so he only paid the tax difference. Nothing unpleasant happened.”
Lee Min Ho due to accounting error
On the 2nd, according to the Asia Economic Report, the Investigation Bureau of the Seoul National Tax Service conducted an irregular (special) tax investigation on Lee Min Ho and MYM Entertainment in September 2020, and collected hundreds of millions of won in recovery fees.
MYM Entertainment stated: “We will correct matters related to our company and our artists. Our company and actor Lee Min Ho have paid taxes honestly so far, and there has not been any unpleasant incidents. The current situation (supplementary payment of taxes) Kim) is an incident that occurred due to a difference in interpretation of whether the “illegal portrait right use damage compensation” of the previously affiliated artist is subject to taxation. This is a correction decision due to an accounting error in the processing of corporate expenses, Therefore, I honestly paid the additional taxes incurred.”
Editor in charge: Liang Mengzhu