Two foreign tobacco makers slapped with tax bill over $260 mil

Описание: 정부, 담뱃세 탈루 외국계 담배회사에 세금 3천억 추징

The South Korean government has collected over 300 billion won, or 260 million U.S. dollars, from two multi-national tobacco makers... accused of tax evasion and making illegal profits back in 2015.
But the two firms are not going down without a fight.
Kim Hyo-sun zooms in on the brewing battle. The Korean government has slapped two foreign tobacco makers with a combined tax bill of over 300 billion Korean won or about 260 million U.S. dollars.
Philip Morris International Korea and British American Tobacco Korea were charged with evading taxes and reaping huge benefits... when the government hiked tobacco prices by 80 percent in January of 2015.
Because cigarettes are taxed when they're moved out of the factory and not later,... the companies shipped more at the end of 2014 before the price hike came into effect so they would be charged less.
The two were accused last September by Korea's Board of Audit and Inspection and the finance ministry of evading taxes worth 208 billion won or about 190 million dollars.
And on Friday,... the National Tax Service and the Ministry of the Interior decided to levy a tax on Philip Morris of some 190 million dollars and on British American of 77 million.
The government also plans to impose additional fines on them.
While the two companies have now paid the amounts demanded of them,... they will file or have already filed an appeal to avoid the additional penalties.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.