Lee Yi-kyung Faces Tax Audit: Agency Denies Intentional Evasion

Actor Lee Yi-kyung has been notified of additional tax payments following an irregular tax audit of his one-man agency. His agency has released an official statement, asserting that there was "no intentional tax evasion."

On the 13th, Xports News reported that Lee Yi-kyung recently underwent an irregular tax audit by the National Tax Service (NTS) and was notified of additional tax assessments. According to the report, the NTS determined that Lee had reduced his tax burden by processing a portion of his personal income as corporate revenue through his one-man agency. The authorities reportedly viewed this as a potential method of tax avoidance, taking advantage of the fact that the top corporate tax rate is lower than the top personal income tax rate.

In response, Lee Yi-kyung's agency, Sangyoung ENT, stated, "We sincerely apologize for causing concern to many people due to this matter." They explained, "Since his debut, Lee Yi-kyung has always complied with tax laws and faithfully fulfilled his tax obligations. He cooperated diligently during the recent tax audit by transparently submitting all relevant documents."

The agency further emphasized, "The results of this tax audit arose from a difference in the interpretation of tax laws between the tax authorities and our company regarding expense processing standards during the operation of the corporation. We clearly state that there was absolutely no intentional omission of income or any fraudulent method of tax evasion." They added that the assessed additional taxes would be paid without delay in accordance with the relevant procedures.

Finally, Lee Yi-kyung's side added, "We will more thoroughly review our tax and accounting management systems to ensure that similar issues do not occur in the future."

Previously, actors CHA EUN-WOO, Kim Seon-ho, Yoo Yeonseok, and Lee Hanee were also reported to have been audited by the NTS and assessed additional taxes, sparking criticism over whether such one-man corporations were established and operated for the purpose of reducing taxes.

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)