Journalists ‘have no privilege to evade taxes,' Hong Kong leader says after press union alleges ‘unreasonable audits'
Journalists 'have no privilege to evade taxes,' Hong Kong leader John Lee has said, brushing off a press union's accusation that independent media outlets in the city are facing 'unreasonable' tax audits.
No one is exempt from paying their taxes on time and in full, Lee said at a weekly press conference on Tuesday, adding that the government is entitled to launch tax investigations against any individuals or professions.
'No one has the privilege to break the law, no one has the privilege to evade taxes, and no one has the privilege of not having their taxes assessed,' he said in Cantonese. 'Journalists or any other profession have no privilege to evade taxes.'
He also said that a 'real professional group' should improve the profession it belongs to instead of pressuring the government.
'Tolerating members who break the law and evade taxes while pressuring the government will only expose the group's own maliciousness,' Lee said.
six independent media outlets in the city have been facing tax audits from the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) since late 2023.
The IRD made errors and 'strange, unreasonable claims' in issuing tax assessments and demands, the press union said.
The outlets include HKFP, InMedia, The Witness, ReNews, Boomhead, and one that did not wish to be named.
In a statement, HKFP said it has been cooperating fully with the IRD's tax audit, adding that it has 'always met its tax obligations, paid IRD demands immediately, and ensured meticulous record-keeping' since it was established in 2015.
Statement: HKFP, which was 'randomly selected' for an audit in 2024, has always met its tax obligations, paid demands immediately, and ensured meticulous record-keeping.
Donor data was withheld in paper submissions to Inland Revenue, with all 'hold' demands reduced to HK$0.… pic.twitter.com/3v2SPlKfop
— Hong Kong Free Press HKFP (@hkfp) May 21, 2025
According to the HKJA, 20 individuals, including heads of media outlets and their spouses, are also subject to the IRD's audits and backdated tax demands. The HKJA also faces the IRD's scrutiny.
Selina Cheng, head of the HKJA, also said during the Wednesday press conference that the mistakes of the IRD included demanding a journalist to pay profits tax with a non-existent Business Registration number, and auditing backdated tax filings from before one media outlet was even established.
Cheng also said the IRD re-examined her 2017 tax filing and overassessed her taxable income by about HK$400,000.
Commissioner of Inland Revenue Benjamin Chan said on Saturday that the IRD would 'definitely not' target specific industries.
According to the annual Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Press Freedom Index, released in early May, Hong Kong fell five spots to 140th out of 180 countries and territories.
The former British colony, once home to a freewheeling press, entered the 'red zone' – meaning a 'very serious' situation for journalism – for the first time in RSF's index. China ranked 178th.
Since the Beijing-imposed national security law came into effect in 2020, dozens of civil society groups have shuttered. Two of Hong Kong's biggest independent media outlets – Apple Daily and Stand News – also saw their offices raided and their top staff arrested.
Last year, the HKJA said there was a 'systematic and organised attack' on the city's media sector, after receiving reports from journalists from at least 13 media outlets saying they or their family members had received anonymous harassment letters.
Cheng said last week that the media outlets inspected by the IRD partly overlapped with those that faced harassment last year.
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