Investigations into Influencers' Tax Evasion Across Germany
Berlin's tax officials scrutinize social media personalities - Tax officials in Berlin are investigating influencers for potential tax evasion issues.
In recent months, German authorities have been actively investigating professional influencers for potential tax evasion, as part of a broader effort to address tax evasion in the digital space. The State Office for Combating Tax Evasion and other regional authorities, including the Landeshauptstadt Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), are involved in these probes.
In NRW, the LBF NRW has intensified investigations into tax evasion among influencers, examining financial transactions and income declarations for irregularities. Authorities across several federal states are conducting these investigations, indicating a coordinated effort to tackle tax evasion by influencers.
Berlin's Involvement in the Investigations
Berlin's tax investigators are currently scrutinizing thousands of records of social media personalities, known as influencers. The Tax Office for Investigation and Criminal Matters in Berlin has around 4,000 data sets related to these influencers. Berlin is also exchanging information with the tax supervisory authorities of other federal states.
According to Finance State Secretary Wolfgang Schyrocki, Berlin's Senate Finance Administration suspects that their 4,000 data sets on influencers may come from the same data packages as in NRW. However, the state office for combating financial crime in NRW did not disclose what specific data was involved in the alleged tax evasion.
Parliamentary Query and Criticism
SPD politician Sebastian Schluesselburg, the party's tax expert in the Berlin House of Representatives, finds the response from the Senate Finance Administration insufficient and criticizes the lack of concrete numbers or information about investigations or reassessments. Schluesselburg compared the situation to a cashier in a supermarket who pays taxes, while influencers, who make money through clicks, often do not pay their taxes properly.
Schluesselburg also stated that it is not specified where the Berlin data sets originated, and he plans to follow up on the issue, emphasizing that tax evasion harms everyone. The issue of influencers potentially evading taxes was first reported by the "Berliner Morgenpost."
North Rhine-Westphalia's Tax Investigations
NRW's tax investigations have been particularly noteworthy. North Rhine-Westphalia's tax investigators are currently scrutinizing a package of several social media platforms with 6,000 data sets, allegedly leading to a tax loss of around 300 million euros. However, it is not mentioned if any specific state has experienced high tax losses.
Legal Developments and Transparency
While not directly focused on transparency in tax investigations, there are ongoing legal developments aimed at combating unfair practices in the digital space, which might indirectly influence how influencers are regulated and monitored. The focus on criminal tax law includes providing advice on correcting tax returns and avoiding risks, which could lead to increased clarity and compliance among influencers.
Overall, the current status is marked by active investigations, but any plans for increased transparency are not explicitly outlined yet. However, legal developments and consultations on digital practices may contribute to enhanced oversight and compliance in the future.
- The investigations into tax evasion among influencers in several EC countries, such as Germany and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), are not just limited to examining financial transactions and income declarations for irregularities, but also involve a close collaboration between respective business, politics, and general-news communities, demonstrating a coordinated effort to tackle this issue.
- Despite Berlin's tax investigators scrutinizing thousands of records of social media personalities, also known as influencers, and exchanging information with other federal states, SPD politician Sebastian Schluesselburg from the Berlin House of Representatives questions the lack of concrete information about the investigations, stating that the concern about tax evasion among influencers is not only relevant to finance, but also to business, politics, and general-news, as it impacts everyone.