BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The leading livestreamer Huang Wei, better known as Viya, was fined 1.34 billion yuan (about 210 million U.S. dollars) for tax evasion, said China's taxation authority Monday.
Between 2019 and 2020, Huang evaded 643 million yuan in tax by concealing her personal income and falsely declaring the nature of her income while failing to pay 60 million yuan in other taxes, said a statement on the website of the State Taxation Administration.
According to the law, Huang was fined 1.34 billion yuan, including tax payments and overdue fines, the statement said.
If a taxpayer evades taxes, the tax authorities shall recover the tax which the taxpayer fails to pay or underpays and the late payment fee, and impose a fine of not less than 50 percent but not more than five times the amount the taxpayer fails to pay or underpays, according to the law.
Along with the takeoff of the platform economy and livestreaming e-commerce, the tax authorities have strengthened supervision and regulation of the new economy and new forms of business and probed and dealt with many cases on tax evasion.
The tax authorities have offered a self-examination and rectification period for new-business practitioners.
In September, the administration issued a notice specifying that livestreamers who proactively report and promptly correct tax-related problems by the end of 2021 can receive less punishment or be exempted from punishment under the law. Thousands of people have taken the initiative to self-examine and pay back taxes.
The country's support for the new economy and new business forms should not be a talisman for people in this sector to evade tax. Paying taxes under the law is the obligation of every citizen, said Tang Jiqiang, a professor at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.
Online shopping is getting more intelligent as livestreaming e-commerce thrives and reshapes consumer behavior.
Compared with traditional online retailing, livestreaming e-commerce enables sellers to showcase their goods more authentically and thoroughly. Consumers can also enjoy special offers from livestreamers.
Considering China's massive livestreaming market, analysts envision that livestreaming e-commerce will continue to expand its presence in online shopping and involve more sectors and types of goods.
The country's livestreaming e-commerce market is estimated to near 2 trillion yuan in 2021, according to a report from a Ministry of Commerce research institute.
The streamlining sector boasts diversified platforms and different practitioners, bringing more challenges for supervision, said Xu Sheng, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research. Xu called for better cooperation of various departments to promote the healthy and sustained development of the sector.
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