Actor Ji Chang-wook has reportedly been slapped with a back-tax bill worth tens of billions of won following a National Tax Service audit.
According to Field News on June 2, the Seoul Regional National Tax Service’s Investigation Bureau 2 conducted a non-regular special tax audit on Ji around March. Investigation Bureau 2 is known for handling higher-intensity probes than routine audits.
The report says the NTS reviewed the timing of revenue recognition from Ji’s domestic and overseas entertainment activities, the settlement of appearance fees, and the handling of expenses and supporting documents through his agency and related corporations. In the process, authorities allegedly found signs of omitted or improperly handled taxes, resulting in an additional assessment reportedly in the tens of billions of won (roughly multi-million USD).
However, the exact amount of the assessment, the details of the probe, and the specific items flagged by the tax authorities have not been disclosed.
Regarding the report, Ji Chang-wook’s agency Spring Company told several outlets they are "checking." As of now, no detailed explanation or official statement from Ji’s side has been confirmed.
Ji Chang-wook recently met audiences with director Yeon Sang-ho’s film Colony. The cast also includes Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Shin Hyun-been, and Kim Shin-rok.
Recently, the entertainment industry has seen a series of tax probes into how expenses are handled and revenue is recognized in the operation of one-person agencies and personal corporations. Previously, it was revealed that actors Lee Yi-kyung and Lee Min-ki had also been hit with back-tax assessments.