Cha Eun-woo Pays 13 Billion Won in Back Taxes but Won’t Accept It, Saying He Will Seek a Legal Ruling

Paying the full 13 billion won isn’t the end, but the beginning… Cha Eun-woo files a tax appeal against the National Tax Service

Singer and actor "Cha Eun-woo", who appeared to put an end to the situation by paying in full a staggering tax assessment of roughly 13 billion won, has now begun formal procedures to contest the tax authorities’ action. It is a strong declaration that he will not simply pay the taxes and move on, but will rigorously challenge whether the "National Tax Service"’s decision contains any legal or factual errors using legal standards.

According to his agency "Fantagio" on the 2nd, Cha Eun-woo’s side officially submitted a "tax appeal request" to the "Tax Tribunal" last month. The submission argues that the income tax assessment of the 13 billion won scale that was paid earlier was unjust. The agency said, "We filed an appeal to seek an objective legal judgment in accordance with the lawful procedures set out by law," adding, "As the matter is currently under review, we cannot comment on specific issues at this time."

The dispute traces back to January. At the time, reports spread that Cha Eun-woo had received a "notice of income tax assessment" of more than 20 billion won from the National Tax Service, prompting "tax evasion allegations". In response, in April, he paid the assessed taxes in full, along with a statement that he would respect the National Tax Service’s procedures and the calculation results, to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings and confusion among the public.

But the full payment appears to have been a strategic move rather than an admission of wrongdoing. "Tax appeal" is the key remedy that allows taxpayers to raise objections when they believe a tax authority’s disposition is unlawful or unfair. Because the appeal can be filed only within 90 days from the day the taxpayer receives the notice, Cha Eun-woo’s side appears to have mounted its counterargument within the deadline after a careful legal review. Observers across the board are now watching closely to see who the Tax Tribunal will side with regarding the fate of the massive 13 billion won in taxes.