One of China’s highest paid actors will escape criminal charges for tax evasion and other offences if she pays a fine of around RMB883m (£98.9m, $128.5m, €111.3m).
The story was broken by Chinese state news agency Xinhau, which quoted the country’s taxation authorities as saying Fan Bingbing “has been ordered to pay taxes and fines worth hundreds of millions of yuan over tax evasion”.
The level of the fine was not included in the Xinhau article but has been reported in the international press.
Yin versus Yang
The actress has been conspicuously absent from social media for three months, as the government investigated so-called yin-yang contracts she submitted to the tax authorities.
The practice has reportedly been common in China’s TV and film industry and involves issuing two employment contracts – one with the actor’s real earnings and another one with a lower figure.
The contract with the lower figure being the one submitted for official purposes.
Fan rose to fame internationally followed her appearances in X-Men Days of Future Past.
Ashamed and apologetic
On Wednesday, Fan posted an apology on Chinese social media platform Weibo praising the country’s communist party.
“Without the good policies of the party and the state, and without the love of the people, there would be no Fan Bingbing.”
Describing herself as “ashamed” of her actions, she wrote: “I completely accept all the penalty decisions made according to law, after the investigation done by tax authorities. I will follow the order, try my best to overcome difficulties, raise fund, pay taxes and fines.”
Fan and the companies she controls have been ordered to pay RMB883m in taxes, fines and penalties.
