IT Raids On Pearle Maaney And Other YouTubers In Kerala

The Income Tax Department recently conducted raids on some of the leading YouTubers in Kerala including Bigg Boss Malayalam contestant and actor Pearle Maanye. These YouTubers are suspected of filing wrong income tax returns as compared to their income.

Income tax returns are important obligations that are to be filed by every Indian that earns a taxable income. However, some people do not give complete information about their income sources in order to reduce the tax.

The Income Tax Department often conducts raids on people and organisations that seem shady or are potential defaulters and this time, the focus of their raids was Kerala-based YouTubers. The IT department reportedly searched the offices and residents of some prominent YouTube celebrities from Kerala including Pearle Maaney.

IT raids On YouTubers And Pearle Maaney 

The Kochi wing of the IT department was suspicious about the income tax returns of 13 Kerala-based YouTubers who allegedly earn an annual income of more than 1 crore but this income is not properly reflected in their tax returns. The department reportedly said that the tax deductions made at source were inaccurate and they decided to investigate the matter. On June 22, at around 9 am, they raided the residents and offices of these prominent YouTubers.

The names of other YouTubers are not revealed but Pearle Maaney is allegedly one of them. The 34-year-old Malayalam actor, host and lyricist is known for becoming the runner-up in the first season of Bigg Boss Malayalam and is very active on YouTube as well. The IT department raided YouTubers’ properties in Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Thrissur, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Kasargod and Maaney was one of them. 

In the case of celebrities like YouTubers, the income is not fixed as it is based on the audience viewership of their social media content as well as their brand collaboration. Hence, the calculation of income tax returns is a little complicated and they sometimes don’t include certain investments and income sources.

 IT officials have looked into the bank details and transactions made by the YouTubers and have recorded their statements as well. They are still conducting investigations and more raids on other YouTubers are expected to take place.

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