CaixinChinese livestreamers' tax evasion reflects need for reform
Loopholes, ambiguous wording in existing law encourage rampant cheating
Livestreaming celebrity Huang Wei, known online as Weiya, was ordered to pay 1.34 billion yuan ($210 million) in back taxes, late fees and fines. © AP
YU HAIRONG, CHENG SIWEI and DENISE JIA, Caixin
December 28, 2021 23:23 JST
China's recent record fine on a top celebrity livestreamer signals that authorities are tightening taxation on high-income individuals. However, to close a loophole that enables tax evasion in the booming but underregulated sector, revisions to the tax system are necessary, experts say.