It has been revealed that actor-turned-shaman Jung Ho-geun provided fortune-telling services without a business registration and failed to file tax returns, resulting in a tax assessment of tens of millions of won. Jung Ho-geun said, "It was merely a mistake stemming from a lack of tax knowledge, and there was no intention of wrongdoing," expressing his indignation.
Jung Ho-geun debuted as a talent for MBC in 1984 and has been active in dramas and films, starting his path as a shaman in 2015. He later opened a shrine and has since appeared in broadcasting programs and on YouTube.
However, according to a report by a media outlet on the 12th, Jung Ho-geun did not report his income from fortune telling from 2017 to 2021 and failed to pay value-added taxes and comprehensive income tax, as revealed by investigations from the Seongbuk Tax Office and the Seoul Regional Tax Service.
The Seongbuk Tax Office, through a tax investigation in 2022, identified the income earned by Jung Ho-geun for four years while he was active as a shaman from 2018 to 2021 and imposed value-added taxes and comprehensive income tax. Additionally, the shrine was forced to register as a business for fortune telling.
Furthermore, in 2024, the Seoul Regional Tax Service confirmed the additional income omissions of Jung Ho-geun for the first half of 2017 to 2018 and issued an additional notice for 1 year and 6 months' worth of value-added taxes.
In response, Jung Ho-geun filed a tax appeal regarding the 1 year and 6 months' worth of value-added taxes, stating, "The shrine in 2017 was merely a space rented temporarily for filming. Since I did not have the necessary facilities, it was not a taxable business at that time," and added, "If value-added taxes had been imposed during the initial investigation, the late payment penalties would not have occurred."
However, the Tax Tribunal concluded that fortune-telling services had been provided since 2017, based on evidence from broadcasts and YouTube videos, finding no issues with the tax assessments by the National Tax Service.
Jung Ho-geun explained, "At that time, I perceived the income as a donation to a religious institution and relied on the practices of existing shamans and the advice of non-experts due to my lack of tax knowledge," adding, "I had no awareness that fortune-telling services were subject to value-added taxes. There was no intention of tax evasion, and I have now paid all taxes in full."
He added, "This tax issue is merely a mistake stemming from a lack of tax knowledge, and there was absolutely no intention to evade tax obligations or to be negligent on purpose. In the future, I will take a more responsible attitude towards fulfilling my tax duties and live a more cautious and exemplary life in my public role."
Meanwhile, Jung Ho-geun, who gained great affection from viewers for his outstanding performances as a villain, has been walking the path of a shaman since 2015. He explained his reasons for becoming a shaman, saying, "After I got married, I lost two of my children. You wouldn't understand unless you experience it. I lost two out of five kids. One day while praying in the shrine, it was said, 'You are to die now; I established you splendidly,' which meant they would come down to me. Isn't that going to my children? I received this instead of my children."
[Photo] OSEN DB
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