Online Sales for a Year, Chinese Livestream Influencer Shockingly Pays Nearly 320 Billion in Taxes
When it comes to making money through livestreaming, the Chinese platform Douyin (also known as TikTok) has become a goldmine for influencers. One particular influencer, Pan Yurun, known as the “little fairy,” recently made headlines by revealing that she paid nearly 100 million NDT (approximately 320 billion VND) in taxes for the year.
Pan Yurun, a 28-year-old influencer from Hangzhou in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, gained fame on Douyin for her skincare and makeup tutorials. Her charming demeanor and happy personality have attracted a large following of devoted fans.
In a video posted on March 14th, Pan Yurun proudly declared that she paid around 95 million NDT in taxes in 2023. She even provided a screenshot of her tax payment as evidence, emphasizing her commitment to fulfilling her tax obligations. Pan Yurun firmly stated, “Paying taxes is the responsibility of every citizen, and I always pay the full amount without engaging in any so-called ‘legal tax avoidance.'”
With such an enormous tax payment, it is estimated that if Pan falls into the highest personal income tax bracket of 45%, her income for 2023 could exceed 200 million Chinese yuan (about 688 billion VND).
However, Pan’s success can also be seen through her livestreamed skincare product sales. During one session, she managed to generate a staggering 110 million NDT (approximately 369 billion VND) in revenue. These astronomical figures demonstrate her significant achievements in the livestream shopping industry.
Pan Yurun’s transparent approach to paying taxes may also be a result of recent crackdowns on tax evasion among celebrities. Vi A, known as the “queen of livestreaming” in China and boasting 90 million followers on Taobao, faced penalties of 1.34 billion Chinese yuan (around 5.1 trillion VND) and a ban from all platforms for tax evasion at the end of 2021.
Over the past nine years, Pan’s video content has evolved from sharing weight-loss tips to selling clothing and beauty products. Today, she primarily focuses on livestreaming skincare products while occasionally sharing videos about her work, inspiring business stories, and financial management strategies. In 2019, Forbes recognized Pan as one of the top 50 KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) in China.
Pan Yurun expressed her dedication to her fans, stating, “Livestreaming is my entire life. I value each and every one of my followers and strive to help them purchase the most suitable products.”
Her strong determination and genuine personality have earned her a loyal fan base. Followers have been inspired by Pan’s self-awareness and courage to pursue her dreams. “That’s why I trust her and her products,” one fan remarked.
According to a report on the livestreaming and short video industry in China, there are currently over 150 million livestreamers in the country. However, more than 95% of them earn less than 5,000 Chinese yuan (approximately 17.3 million VND) per month, falling below China’s personal income tax threshold.
This story of Pan Yurun’s impressive success and responsible tax payment showcases the potential of livestreaming platforms and the importance of transparency in financial matters.