The National Tax Service said on the 22nd it will conduct tax audits of real estate and tax YouTubers who act as cyber wreckers and fuel speculation. The agency's goal with this investigation is to restore the public interest of online media.
Those surveyed YouTubers number 16, including: ▲malicious cyber wreckers ▲real estate and tax YouTubers who fuel speculative and tax evasion behavior and disrupt the market ▲YouTubers who spread false or inappropriate content. The National Tax Service said this is "to respond firmly to the intentional evasion by YouTubers who caused social expense and earned income in return."
According to the National Tax Service, cyber wrecker A, who broadcasts content using celebrities' private lives, used the names of relatives to make it look as if consulting and other services were provided by them. The person then falsely reported business income payment records to reduce income tax. They also booked personal litigation expense and privately spent money unrelated to work as corporations' business promotion expenses to underreport income. With the money siphoned off this way, the person opened and operated a franchise outlet. After closing the outlet, the person received key money but omitted the tax filing.
Real estate specialist YouTuber B dispersed revenue such as ad revenue and lecture fees to a business sites under a spouse's name to reduce progressive income tax. This conduct continued from 2020 to 2024. The person also falsely issued sales tax invoices to a consulting corporation they operate. The corporate card was used privately for department store shopping, luxury hotels, and a child's cram schools, places unrelated to business.
YouTuber C, who airs ads made with artificial intelligence (AI), inflated operating expenses by overpaying advertising fees to an ad agency. The person then recovered the ad fees through a corporation and others in which the family holds 100% equity. The person also padded expenses by claiming to have paid wages to parents even though they did not work together.
The National Tax Service also plans to conduct financial tracing on nontransparent revenue such as personal donations on YouTube. In particular, for YouTubers with a certified tax accountant license, the agency plans to review possible violations of the Certified Tax Accountant Act. The National Tax Service said, "We will work to establish a culture of faithful tax payment in the one-person media market," adding, "We will preemptively close tax blind spots."