Hong Kongโs leader has slammed organisations that claim to be professional yet defend members under tax investigations, warning that such attempts to pressure authorities will only โexpose their ugly natureโ.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu also said that authorities would pursue legal responsibility in accordance with the law, as he responded to a question on whether the governmentโs recent tax reviews on members of the Hong Kong Journalists Association were targeting independent media.
Last week, the cityโs largest journalism group revealed that at least 20 members were asked to prepay about HK$1 million (US$127,609) following a tax review by the Inland Revenue Department, arguing the move was supported by insufficient evidence and had โinevitablyโ placed extra stress on the reporters and media organisations.
Lee said the department had a legal obligation to conduct tax audits and assessments.
He added no one had the right to evade taxes or avoid assessments, while noting that evasion could result in a three-year jail sentence.
โRegardless of profession โ whether civil servants, professionals or non-professionals, journalists or any other occupation โ no one holds a special privilege to break the law through tax evasion,โ Lee said before a meeting of the cityโs top decision-making Executive Council.