Actress Lee Ha-nee, who is embroiled in allegations of tax evasion, announced that she is expecting her second child.
On the 7th, Lee Ha-nee's agency, Team Hope, stated to OSEN, "Lee Ha-nee is pregnant with her second child," adding, "It is still in the early stages."
Lee Ha-nee married a non-celebrity in 2021 and welcomed her first daughter in June 2022. During her first pregnancy, Lee Ha-nee was appearing in MBC drama "The Flower That Blooms at Night" while performing wire action as a pregnant woman.
After three years, Lee Ha-nee announced she is pregnant with her second child and is reportedly focusing on prenatal education. Regarding the due date, her agency said, "It is difficult to disclose."
However, Lee Ha-nee has recently faced difficulties amid allegations of tax evasion and embezzlement (heavy penalties for specific asset crimes). Previously, the Gangnam Police in Seoul received a report requesting an investigation into the allegations of tax evasion and embezzlement against Lee Ha-nee. The individual who filed the report, referred to as 'A,' pointed out that Lee Ha-nee was assessed about 6 billion won in taxes after undergoing a rigorous tax investigation by the National Tax Service in September of last year, and raised suspicions of embezzlement and forgery, noting that Lee Ha-nee purchased real estate worth 6.5 billion won just two years after starting a business with a capital of 10 million won in 2015.
In response, Lee Ha-nee's agency stated, "Lee Ha-nee faithfully responded to the tax audit conducted by the Seoul Regional Tax Service as part of a non-regular integrated tax investigation for corporate artists," adding that "Lee Ha-nee has diligently fulfilled her tax obligations. The taxes in question have been paid in full due to differing perspectives between the tax authorities and the tax representative and have nothing to do with intentional tax evasion."
Regarding the real estate valued at 6.5 billion won, the agency explained about the source of funds for the purchase, saying, "Due to the owner's death after the initial contract (in 2017), it took three years until the final payment and contract date (in 2020), resulting in the first loan being taken out in 2020," and added, "A source of funds investigation was conducted at the time of property acquisition, and we provided sufficient supporting documents, including income certificates and financial transaction details related to loans, ensuring all procedures were carried out legally."
However, the controversy did not subside, and on that day, the agency reiterated, "The tax investigation conducted last year was part of a non-regular integrated tax investigation for corporate artists (which covered a five-year period), and we want to make it clear that no tax evasion or misreporting was discovered during this investigation process."
The agency stated regarding the double taxation related to corporate tax and personal income tax that "the tax authority interpreted that the income earned by artists with corporate businesses should be subject to personal income tax rather than corporate revenue for corporate tax payment. As a result, personal income tax was again imposed on the amount that had already been reported and paid as corporate revenue through the tax representative."
Additionally, regarding the current taxation status, it was mentioned that "As a result, double taxation and additional taxes on the same income have occurred, and the amount imposed is significantly higher than the maximum tax rate applicable under tax law. Currently, the tax assessment has not been finalized. In the future, we plan to actively present evidence regarding double taxation and the application of legal interpretations through legal procedures."
Meanwhile, Lee Ha-nee will appear in writer Noh Hee-kyung's new Netflix series "Slowly but Intensely" (working title).
[Photo] OSEN DB
[OSEN]