The famous influencer Viya, who has around 110 million subscribers on social networks in China, was fined a hefty 181 million euros for tax evasion.
1.3 billion yuan: this is one of the biggest fines ever imposed on a celebrity by the Chinese authorities. An amount that includes the collection of taxes, late penalties and a fine, according to the tax administration, which accuses the influencer of having “evaded 643 million yuan (89 million euros) in taxes between 2019 and 2020 through false declarations and concealing personal income ”.
Viya, whose real name is Huang Wei, is widely followed on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, is an online commerce specialist. Emblematic figure of online “tele-shopping”, the 36-year-old young woman is regularly solicited by brands. Following the news of this conviction in the media, Viya apologized on his Weibo account, reports the Daily Mail: “I am deeply sorry to have broken the tax laws and regulations. I fully accept the sanction imposed by the tax authorities, ”she said.
Already condemned for promoting counterfeits
However, the influencer is not at her first attempt. Last June, she had already been fined 74,000 euros for breach of advertising law, after charges of promoting counterfeit products.
These sanctions are the result of a vast campaign against fraud launched a few months ago by China. The tax administration published a notice in September announcing measures to strengthen controls in the entertainment industry, including “livestreamers”, influencers who interact with their community via live videos.
In August, actress Zheng Shuang, known for several roles in popular Chinese television series, was ordered to pay a fine of 39 million euros.