FBR Cracks Down on 38 YouTubers, TikTokers Over Rs15bn Tax Concealment

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started recovery proceedings against 38 leading YouTubers, TikTokers, and social media influencers, involved in concealment of income with unexplained wealth to the tune of Rs 15 billion.

It is learnt that the FBR will punish these influencer individuals displaying wealth and expenditure on digital platforms, but evading taxes or concealing their income or assets.

FBR Cracks Down on 38 YouTubers, TikTokers Over Rs15bn Tax Concealment

The FBR’s “Lifestyle Monitoring Cell” has detected undeclared expenditure, a mismatch with their declared income and lifestyle, and massive concealment of income by them.

The FBR will conduct income tax audit of these YouTubers and social media influencers and recover due amount of unpaid tax and penalty for concealment of income for the last many years. In many cases, the field formations have already started a detailed audit of these social media influencers.

The Cell has strongly proposed a comprehensive audit of these 38 YouTubers, TikTok stars, and social media influencers, issuance of notices for concealment of income, and a fresh assessment for the recovery of taxes from them.

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According to the sources, the “Lifestyle Monitoring Cell,” Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation–Inland Revenue, has issued intelligence advisories to the field formations for necessary action against them.

The “Lifestyle Monitoring Cell” has found that income tax declarations are opposite to the actual lifestyle of these YouTubers. In many cases, the evidence strongly supports that a huge amount of concealed income was spent to support their lifestyle. The funds came from the income that was not declared to the tax authorities.