dpa
Beijing
Chinese influencer Huang Wei, dubbed the "live-streaming queen” by local media, has been fined 1.34 billion yuan (some 210 million dollars) for tax evasion.
The 35-year-old also known as "Viya” had evaded 643 million yuan in taxes by withholding or incorrectly declaring income, the tax office in the east Chinese city of Hangzhou ruled Monday.
The tax penalty for Huang Wei is the highest ever for a livestreaming star, exceeding the 884 million yuan that actress Fan Bingbing paid to the tax authorities in 2018.
The ruling against the top Chinese social media influencer is part of an ongoing campaign by the authorities against celebrities in China.
Huang Wei is a star influencer and can mobilize up to ten million viewers for one of her online shows to promote products.
Industry experts estimate that she generated more than 31 billion yuan worth of sales in 2020.
The People’s Daily communist party newspaper described the move as a "warning” for other personalities in the e-commerce business that they are "not outside the law.” The penalty will send "shock waves” through the live streaming industry, the Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post wrote.
Huang Wei and her husband Dong Haifeng accepted the penalty and apologized in a message on Weibo, saying "we made a big mistake.”
The thriving live-streaming industry in China has gained additional momentum with the pandemic. This year, according to estimates by market researchers, sales will reach 1.2 trillion yuan - four years ago it was only 19 billion yuan.
Beijing
Chinese influencer Huang Wei, dubbed the "live-streaming queen” by local media, has been fined 1.34 billion yuan (some 210 million dollars) for tax evasion.
The 35-year-old also known as "Viya” had evaded 643 million yuan in taxes by withholding or incorrectly declaring income, the tax office in the east Chinese city of Hangzhou ruled Monday.
The tax penalty for Huang Wei is the highest ever for a livestreaming star, exceeding the 884 million yuan that actress Fan Bingbing paid to the tax authorities in 2018.
The ruling against the top Chinese social media influencer is part of an ongoing campaign by the authorities against celebrities in China.
Huang Wei is a star influencer and can mobilize up to ten million viewers for one of her online shows to promote products.
Industry experts estimate that she generated more than 31 billion yuan worth of sales in 2020.
The People’s Daily communist party newspaper described the move as a "warning” for other personalities in the e-commerce business that they are "not outside the law.” The penalty will send "shock waves” through the live streaming industry, the Hong Kong daily South China Morning Post wrote.
Huang Wei and her husband Dong Haifeng accepted the penalty and apologized in a message on Weibo, saying "we made a big mistake.”
The thriving live-streaming industry in China has gained additional momentum with the pandemic. This year, according to estimates by market researchers, sales will reach 1.2 trillion yuan - four years ago it was only 19 billion yuan.