The Korean Tax Service investigates the California Zion Church - Mimint
National Tax Service, after Korea 'high intensity' investigation of overseas Sincheonji Church
September 4, 2020
The tax authorities' blade is fierce for the Shincheonji, Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (hereinafter referred to as Sincheonji.)
It was confirmed on the 1st that the National Tax Service launched an intensive tax investigation into 12 branches of Sincheonji distributed nationwide in late April, and recently launched a tax investigation into the California Zion Church.
California Zion Church is not only the largest church in the United States, but is also famous for its missionary work, mainly on university campuses.
According to the inspection agency, the Seoul Regional Tax Office, which is conducting a tax investigation into the chairman Lee Man-hee and the Shincheonji Church in Korea, launched an in-depth tax investigation into the California Zion Church in the middle of last month.
The tax investigation of California Zion Church will be carried out until the middle of this month.
Some are paying keen attention to the reason why the National Tax Service has launched a tax investigation into Sincheonji churches located overseas, in addition to the 12 Sincheonji branches distributed in Korea.
"We understand that it has been months since the National Tax Service launched a tax investigation into the chairman Lee Man-hee and the Shincheonji Church," a law firm official said on condition of anonymity.
"It is highly likely that the government started an investigation after finding unclear funds from churches located abroad."
The official added, "In the case of religious organizations, it is difficult to prove even if they remitted money overseas in the name of missionary or missionary activities in Korea, but the possibility of offshore tax evasion cannot be ruled out if an individual buys real estate or trusts it illegally with the money."
Meanwhile, in late April, the National Tax Service sent about 200 agents from the Seoul Regional Tax Office's 4th Bureau of Investigation to Shincheonji churches in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and across the country without prior notice and deposited relevant data for the tax investigation.
Original article: https://www.mimint.co.kr/bbs/view.asp?strBoardID=media&bbstype=S1N12&bidx=2815934
