SOURCE: '차은우 모친' 강화도 장어집 결국 폐업…200억 탈세 의혹의 '슬픈 엔딩'[MD이슈]
'Eojeyeon Charcoal-Grilled Eel' restaurant run by Cha Eunwoo's mother has recently closed down. This has brought more attention to the tax evasion allegations involving the family-owned business. Because of this situation, there's growing calls within the entertainment industry to review the common practice of creating family businesses under the name of 'tax savings' to reduce tax burdens.
Previously, Cha Eunwoo underwent a strict investigation by the Seoul Regional Tax Office last year. Afterward, he was notified of additional taxes totalling to around 20 billion KRW. Until then, Cha Eunwoo's income had been distributed among his agency Fantagio, Company A established by his mother, and Cha Eunwoo personally. Fantagio explained, "Company A was a real business that managed contracts for Cha Eunwoo's entertainment activities."
However, the National Tax Service suspects that Cha Eunwoo used a 'paper company' in order to avoid paying the high income tax rate of 45%. The controversy grew when it was revealed that Company A registered their business as the exact same address as his parents' eel restaurant.
Under current tax law, the maximum income tax applied to high earners reaches up to 45% (49.5% including local income tax), whereas the maximum corporate tax is only around 24-25%. For this reason, it has been common for celebrities to run 'one-person companies' under family members' names to legally save their money on taxes.
Recently, famous actors like Cha Eunwoo, Honey Lee, Yoo Yeonseok, Jo Jinwoong, and Lee Joongi have been notified of large additional tax assessments one after another. This has made the practice as a serious social issue.
A legal professional warned, "Running a one-person company for the purpose of avoiding tax is clearly an unlawful practice. If a company claims to generate revenue with no actual business activity, it can lead to criminal punishment for issuing false tax invoices."
They also added, "These moral scandals can send a fatal blow to a celebrity's image, so they must be very careful when running one-person companies."
TOP COMMENTS:
1. [+975][-7] Cha Eunwoo and Honey Lee are just the ones who got caught. They should dig into every single one-person company in the entertainment industry.
2. [+847][-7] He brought this on himself. What's there to be sad about?
3. [+829][-10] They shouldn't just close the business. Arrest them.
4. [+50][-0] I thought the business expanded and relocated to Cheongdam-dong? What 'sad ending' are they talking about here?
5. [+41][-0] If only he paid all the tax like Yoo Jaesuk and thought of it as an investment in their reputation, he would earn dozens of times more money in the long runㅋㅋ
