German state authorities are intensifying efforts to combat tax evasion among social media influencers, a rapidly growing demographic in the country’s digital economy.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, officials have established a specialized investigative unit to tackle large-scale tax evasion by influencers.
Stephanie Thien, head of the state’s Financial Crime Agency, revealed that her team is analyzing approximately 6,000 datasets from social media platforms, uncovering undeclared income from views and product endorsements.
Approximately 200 influencers have been prosecuted. (Illustrative image)
“We know there’s a lot of money circulating, and not all of it is being taxed properly,” Thien told AFP.
Like many countries, Germany has seen a surge in TikTok, Instagram, and other platform influencers. The German Digital Economy Association (BVDW) reports that influencer marketing budgets rose from €223 million in 2019 to €477 million in 2022.
Prior to this crackdown, North Rhine-Westphalia prosecuted around 200 local influencers, with some accused of evading millions in taxes.
Other states, including Hamburg and Thuringia, are also investigating similar cases.
Christian Gebert, CEO of Steuerberaten.de, notes that many influencers, especially young, fast-rising stars, are often unaware of their tax obligations.
“Some come to us saying, ‘I’ve been doing this for 2–3 years but never thought about taxes.’ Rapid success leaves many unprepared for tax responsibilities,” Gebert explained.
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