New Delhi (India), 6th June 2023: Following claims by tax officials that they had discovered errors in the BBC’s accounting books in India, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has reportedly admitted to evading taxes in India and is now committed to pay Rs 40 crores in tax arrears.
According to a report by India.com, the BBC has agreed to pay Rs 40 crore to compensate for tax evasion that occurred between 2016 and 2022.
It should be noted that the BBC offices were surveyed by tax authorities for three days in February 2023. Following the survey, the Finance Ministry issued a statement detailing the extent of the BBC’s tax evasion.
According to the statement, the income/profits stated by various group entities under BBC India, do not correspond to the scale of activities in India which are substantial.
Several pieces of evidence were discovered during the revenue Tax Department search, which was billed as a survey, that demonstrate that tax was not paid on certain transfers and were not disclosed as revenue in India by the group’s foreign firms.