Trending Now: Cha Eun-woo, Kim Seon-ho, Fan Bingbing and the growing spotlight on celebrity taxes – Fans React

When tax authorities come knocking, celebrity status rarely offers cover. In recent months alone, K-pop idols, A-list actors and global sports legends have found themselves pulled into public reckonings over how their fortunes were structured, declared or allegedly concealed. 

In South Korea, scrutiny around actors such as Cha Eun-woo and Kim Seon-ho has reignited debate over family-run entities and “one-person agencies”. In China, Fan Bingbing’s downfall remains a cautionary tale of how swiftly fame can evaporate under regulatory pressure. And in Europe, football icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have learned that image-rights income can be just as scrutinised as goals and trophies.

From reputational fallout and lost endorsements to industry-wide crackdowns and record-breaking penalties, these high-profile cases show how quickly celebrity wealth can become a liability.

Kim Seon-ho

In early February 2026, South Korean outlet Sports Kyunghyang reported that actor Kim Seon-ho was operating a separate, family-run performance-planning company alongside his activities under Fantagio, prompting media speculation about possible tax irregularities. According to the report, the company was registered under Seon-ho’s residential address in Seoul, with the actor listed as representative director and his parents named as internal director and auditor. While the company cited entertainment-related activities as part of its business scope, Sports Kyunghyang noted that it was not registered as a public arts and culture planning business, and suggested that its family-only board structure allowed for flexible internal fund management.

The report further alleged that the company’s accounts were used to pay monthly salaries to the actor’s parents, that corporate credit cards were used for personal and household expenses, and that a family vehicle was registered under the company’s name. The outlet suggested that such practices could raise concerns about inflated deductible expenses and, potentially, improper use of corporate funds. It characterised the arrangement as resembling a “paper company”, though no official findings were cited.

Fantagio responded the same day with a formal statement categorically denying any tax evasion or avoidance, stressing that Seon-ho conducts all current professional activities solely under his exclusive contract with the agency and is fully compliant with legal and tax obligations. Fantagio said the company referenced in the report was not established for tax purposes, had ceased operations after the actor joined the agency, and is in the process of being formally dissolved. The agency emphasised that no issues exist between Seon-ho and Fantagio regarding contracts, finances or tax compliance.

As of the latest reporting, no audit, reassessment, criminal charge or official investigation involving the star has been announced by South Korea’s National Tax Service or prosecutors.

Cha Eun-woo

South Korean singer-actor Cha Eun-woo, a member of K-pop group ASTRO and a leading television star, became the subject of a high-profile tax dispute in early 2026 after the National Tax Service (NTS) issued an additional tax assessment reportedly exceeding ₩20 billion (approximately US$13.6 to 14 million). According to Korean media, the reassessment followed an audit into the actor’s income structure and centred on a “one-person agency” established by his mother, which was placed between him and his management agency, Fantagio, through a service contract. Investigators concluded that the company did not provide substantive services and functioned as a paper entity, allowing part of Eun-woo’s entertainment income to be taxed at the lower corporate rate rather than the higher personal income tax rate.

At the time of writing, no criminal charges have been filed, and the case remains a civil tax matter, focused on whether the arrangement constituted lawful tax planning or unlawful tax evasion. Fantagio has denied wrongdoing, stating that the core issue is whether the company qualifies as a legitimate taxable entity and emphasising that the matter has not yet been formally finalised, with the agency cooperating through legal procedures.

On January 26, the K-pop star issued a public apology on Instagram, saying he would comply fully with all tax-related procedures and accept the final judgment of the authorities. He also clarified that his recent military enlistment was not an attempt to avoid scrutiny, explaining that he had been unable to postpone service despite the ongoing audit. The controversy has triggered widespread public attention and commercial fallout: multiple brands have distanced themselves, including Abib, Shinhan Bank, and Marithé François Girbaud, which have removed or set to private promotional materials featuring the actor while the review continues.

Fan Bingbing

Fan Bingbing, one of China’s most prominent film stars, became the centre of the country’s most consequential celebrity tax scandal in 2018, after allegations surfaced that her earnings had been concealed through so-called “yin–yang contracts” – dual agreements in which a lower amount was declared for tax purposes while a higher fee was paid privately. Following a government investigation, Chinese tax authorities concluded that Fan and companies linked to her had underreported income across multiple projects, including the film Air Strike, and ordered her to pay approximately ¥884 million (about US$129 million) in back taxes, fines and penalties.

The actress issued a public apology, accepted responsibility, and agreed to make the payments; no criminal charges were pursued once the settlement was completed, in line with Chinese tax enforcement practice at the time. The case led to her near-total disappearance from public life for several months, halted her mainland acting career, and prompted a wider regulatory crackdown on tax practices in China’s entertainment industry, with authorities tightening oversight of celebrity contracts and pay structures.

While Bingbing has since re-emerged largely outside mainland China – returning to acting through international projects, earning Best Actress at the Golden Horse Awards for her performance in Mother Bhumi, appearing on major festival and fashion circuits, and expanding her skincare brand, Fan Beauty Diary – her case remains a defining moment in how China polices celebrity wealth, reshaping industry norms around transparency, compliance and accountability.

Shakira

Shakira’s tax dispute with Spanish authorities centred on tax residency, rather than the use of concealed contracts or undeclared income streams. Spanish prosecutors alleged that between 2012 and 2014, the Colombian pop star was effectively a Spanish tax resident – and therefore liable for tax on her worldwide income – because she spent more than half of each year in Spain while living in Barcelona with her then-partner, footballer Gerard Piqué. Shakira disputed that interpretation, maintaining that she was a tax resident of the Bahamas during that period and that her international touring schedule and professional commitments made her residency status legally ambiguous.

After several years of investigation and pre-trial proceedings, the Latina pop diva reached a settlement with prosecutors on the opening day of her trial in November 2023. Under the agreement, she paid outstanding taxes and accepted an additional fine of approximately €7.3 million, along with a three-year suspended prison sentence, allowing her to avoid jail under Spanish law for first-time, non-violent offenders. Shakira has said she chose to settle to spare her family – particularly her two young sons – the strain of a prolonged legal battle, while continuing to deny any intentional wrongdoing.

In 2024, a separate tax investigation relating to the year 2018 was dropped by a Spanish court, which ruled there was insufficient evidence of criminal intent, bringing that matter to a close.

Zheng Shuang

Zheng Shuang’s career collapsed in 2021 after Chinese tax authorities concluded that the actress had failed to declare substantial income between 2019 and 2020, using illegal contract practices associated with so-called “yin–yang contracts”, in which actual remuneration was concealed from tax authorities. Following an investigation led by the Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, officials found that Zheng had failed to declare approximately ¥191 million in income, evaded about ¥45.3 million in taxes, and underpaid a further ¥26.5 million, resulting in an order to pay around ¥299 million (approximately US$46 million) in back taxes, late fees and penalties – one of the largest tax penalties imposed on an individual entertainer in China.

Chinese tax authorities said Zheng’s conduct violated tax laws governing high-earning performers and constituted serious under-reporting of income. As part of the enforcement action, she was required to pay overdue taxes and interest within a specified period, while penalties continued to be pursued under administrative procedures. Zheng later acknowledged the findings publicly and expressed acceptance of the punishment imposed by authorities.

The tax ruling, which followed closely on a separate surrogacy controversy, led to Zheng’s effective removal from China’s entertainment industry, with television broadcasts and commercial partnerships withdrawn and her acting career halted. In subsequent years, Chinese courts have ordered her to compensate investors and production companies for losses linked to cancelled or shelved projects, and she has faced continued legal and financial pressure, including enforcement actions related to unpaid debts.

Deng Lun

In March 2022, Chinese tax authorities concluded that actor Deng Lun had misreported personal income as business income for the years 2019 to 2020, a practice that can reduce personal tax by shifting earnings into corporate accounts. After an inspection by the Shanghai Municipal Tax Service, officials found that Deng had evaded approximately ¥47.66 million (~US $7.5 million) in personal income tax and underpaid about ¥13.99 million (~US $2.2 million) in other taxes, and ordered him to pay a combined ¥106 million (about US $16.6 million) in back taxes, penalties and late fees.

Deng issued a public apology acknowledging the findings and saying he would accept the consequences, and in the aftermath his personal social media accounts were shut down and several commercial partnerships were quietly unwound. While his penalty was announced as a completed enforcement action rather than the result of a long-running investigation, media reporting has noted that broadcasts and credits of his recent work were removed and that major endorsement deals were terminated following the tax ruling.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo’s tax case in Spain centred on how his image-rights income was structured, rather than undeclared earnings or concealed contracts. Spanish prosecutors alleged that between 2011 and 2014, while he was playing for Real Madrid, Cristiano channelled income from endorsements and image rights through offshore companies in jurisdictions including the British Virgin Islands and Ireland, resulting in the underpayment of approximately €14.7 million in Spanish taxes. Ronaldo denied intentional wrongdoing, maintaining that his tax affairs were handled by advisers and that he believed his arrangements were lawful.

After several years of investigation and pre-trial proceedings, the football legend reached a settlement with Spanish tax authorities in 2018, formally concluding the case in January 2019. Under the agreement, he pleaded guilty to four counts of tax fraud, accepted a two-year suspended prison sentence – which, under Spanish law, meant he did not serve jail time as a first-time, non-violent offender – and agreed to pay around €18.8 million in back taxes, fines and interest.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi’s tax troubles in Spain unfolded over several years and centred on how income from his image rights was handled during the early part of his career at Barcelona. Between 2007 and 2009, Spanish prosecutors said earnings linked to endorsements were routed through offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay, leaving more than €4 million in income improperly declared to Spain’s tax authorities.

The issue surfaced publicly in 2013, when the football star and his father paid over €5 million in back taxes and interest while the investigation was still underway. Three years later, a Barcelona court found both men guilty of three counts of tax fraud, sentencing them to 21 months in prison and imposing financial penalties. As first-time, non-violent offenders, neither served jail time under Spanish law.

In 2017, Spain’s Supreme Court upheld the convictions but allowed the prison terms to be converted into fines, bringing the case to a close. Lionel maintained throughout that he had relied on advisers to manage his finances, but the ruling affirmed that, under Spanish law, responsibility ultimately rests with the beneficiary of the income.

Lin Chi-ling

Lin Chi-ling’s tax dispute in Taiwan predates the wave of high-profile celebrity tax crackdowns seen later in mainland China and Europe, and unfolded as a civil matter rather than a criminal case. The issue arose from an audit of her income filings for the years 2003 to 2005, during which Taiwan’s tax authorities determined that portions of her earnings had been underreported.

In 2010, the Taipei High Court ruled that Chi-ling was required to pay NT$6.84 million (approximately US$223,000) in additional taxes, penalties and interest. The court reduced the amount originally sought by tax authorities, finding no evidence of deliberate tax evasion or fraudulent intent. As a result, the case was treated as a correction of declared income rather than a criminal offence, and no conviction or custodial sentence was imposed.

The ruling brought the dispute to a close and did not result in professional sanctions or lasting disruption to the actress’s career, marking a clear contrast with later celebrity tax cases that triggered criminal investigations, industry blacklisting or sweeping regulatory reforms.