KOCHI: The Income Tax (IT) department conducted raids on Thursday at the residences and offices of 13 prominent YouTubers and content creators in Kerala, including actress Pearle Maaney.
The raids took place in various districts, namely Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Alappuzha, Kottayam, and Kasargod.
According to IT officials, these YouTubers earn over an estimated Rs 1 crore annually, but their tax filings do not accurately reflect their income. "Their IT tax deducted at source is inappropriate," a source said.
Furthermore, there are suspicions about the paid promotional content these content creators have carried, said officials.
Some of the YouTubers have also made undisclosed investments, which have not been included in their tax declarations. The raid was coordinated by the IT Enforcement Wing based in Kochi.
The IT officials have revealed that these YouTubers claim to have no fixed payment, and the monthly payments they receive from YouTube and other social media platforms are dependent on the viewership of their content. This has caused confusion in terms of tax payment.
The raids commenced at around 9 am, and statements from the content creators are currently being recorded. The IT team is also examining the bank statements and other transaction details related to the revenue earned by these respective YouTubers.
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Before initiating the raid, the IT department conducted a preliminary investigation. Additional raids targeting more YouTubers in the state are scheduled to take place in the following days, according to sources.
YouTube channels and their subscribers
M4Tech: 11.2 million
Unboxing Dude: 3.75 million
Arjyou: 3.61 million
Fishing Freaks: 3.35 million
Akhil NRD: 2.83 million
Pearle Maaney: 2.6 million
Jayaraj G Nath: 1.72 millio