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Taeyoung undergoing special tax audit |
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The headquarters building of SBS
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By Kim Tae-gyu, Kim Jae-won
Taeyoung Corp., a mid-tier construction company, is undergoing a special tax audit with regard to alleged tax evasion involving its affiliates, sources familiar with the issue said Sunday.
The National Tax Service (NTS) admitted that its special team is looking into the Seoul-based builder although the agency refused to reveal details, citing the sensitivity of the probe.
The investigation is expected to generate big aftershocks because Taeyoung is the eventual owner of SBS, one of the country’s terrestrial broadcasters. Plus, those in charge of the probe are also out of the ordinary.
``It is true that the fourth bureau is currently investigating Taeyoung,’’ a high-ranking NTS official told The Korea Times without elaborating.
If the audit is a regular one carried out every four or five years, the first bureau is supposed to assume the task. The fourth bureau is a specialized team for large firms’ tax evasion.
``When the fourth bureau takes action, the chances are that the team has suspicions with substantive evidence. Otherwise, they hardly come to the fore even though I’m not aware of the Taeyoung case,’’ an NTS official said.
Taeyoung Corp. established SBS in 1991 but had to dispose of its 30-percent stake in the broadcaster in 2008 in the face of criticism that a private company should not own a TV network.
However, Taeyoung maintained its influence in SBS because it managed to secure the majority of shares in the new holding company, SBS Media Holdings.
Some SBS insiders have complained that the broadcaster sells its content to its sister firms, distributing soap operas or other programs so that they can inflate their profits.
``We have heard of the grievances that SBS programs are offered to its sister firms at lower than market prices, which helped the latter chalk up better bottom lines,’’ an SBS unionist said.
``In other words, the content distributors can have better profitability at the expense of SBS. SBS Holdings cannot easily make profit with SBS due to strong regulations on TV stations but that is not the case for its sister companies. The result is Taeyoung can fatten its wallets through SBS Holdings.’’
Asked whether the tax probe by the fourth bureau is about Taeyoung itself or its subsidiaries, however, the senior NTS official remained tight-lipped.
When contacted, a Taeyoung spokesman admitted that the fourth bureau of the NTS was involved. But he added that the ongoing tax audit is a regular one, which takes place in five years, and officials from the first bureau are also part of the probe.
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[단독] 태영건설 특별 세무조사
국세청이 태영건설에 대한 세무조사를 벌이고 있는 것으로 알려져 그 배경에 대해 관심이 모아지고 있다. 태영건설은 지상파 언론사 SBS의 지주회사인 SBS 홀딩스의 대주주이기 때문이다.
특히 이번 조사에는 서울지방국세청 조사4국이 투입돼 더욱 궁금증을 증폭시킨다. 서울청의 조사4국은 정기적인 세무조사가 아닌 탈세나 비자금, 주식조작과 관련된 특별세무조사 업무를 담당하고 있다.
국세청의 한 고위 관계자는 현재 “조사4국이 태영건설에 대한 세무조사를 벌이고 있다”는 사실에 대해서는 인정하면서도 조사 내용과 시기 등과 같은 그 밖에 사항에 대해서는 답변하기 거부했다.
소식에 정통한 관계자는 현재 국세청이 태영건설-SBS 홀딩스-SBS 자회사의 이루어진 소유구조 속에서 내부거래로 인한 탈세혐의를 포착하고 조사 중이라고 밝혔다. 하지만 국세청은 이에 대한 답변을 거절했다.
태영건설 측 관계자는 현재 세무조사가 이루어지고 있다는 점과 조사 4국이 관여하고 있다는 사실은 인정했지만 이번 세무조사는 5년만에 이루어지는 정기 세무조사로 조사 1국 직원들도 참여하고 있다고 밝혔다.
태영건설은 1991는 SBS를 설립하였으나 2008년 사기업의 방송 소유에 대한 비판에 직면해 소유지분 30%를 지주회사 SBS 홀딩스에 넘겼다. 하지만 태영건설이 SBS 홀딩스의 대주주이기 때문에 사실상의 지배력을 유지하고 있다는 것이 대체적인 관측이다.
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voc200@koreatimes.co.kr |
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