Tax investigators are targeting the influencer industry in Baden-Württemberg

The tax investigation is targeting the influencer industry. For Baden-Württemberg's digital advertising stars, the lucrative business with reach is increasingly becoming a tax risk: within six months, there have been additional tax payments of around 438,000 euros, as Finance State Secretary Andrea Lindlohr (Greens) announced in Stuttgart. There are also 100 cases from the social media area that are currently being processed in the tax investigation and criminal and fine cases. “In the end it’s about tax justice. Anyone who taxes their income properly must be able to rely on the same standards applying to everyone else.”

The special unit for tax supervision in Baden-Württemberg (SES) sent almost 900 inspection notices to the tax offices in December last year. This is a reference to another tax office, which can initiate or supplement a tax audit there. The person concerned finds out nothing about it.

Digital research leads to success

Lindlohr said it was clear that the same tax rules would apply to digital business models as to traditional companies. “That is why the tax administration is strengthening its controls in this area. Data and information from digital sources are specifically evaluated and any abnormalities are checked.” The SES, which has existed since 2014, is a specialized investigative group that supports the country's tax investigation offices with digital research.

According to the Ministry of Finance, an additional result of around 1.71 billion euros was achieved in tax audits last year. The special sales tax audits amounted to around 245.6 million euros. The tax investigation also flushed around 205.8 million euros into the coffers. Financial investigators secured assets worth around 178 million euros.