Influencers are said to have cheated by hundreds of million euros

So-called influencers are said to have cheated the tax authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia alone by around 300 million euros. This was confirmed by the state office to combat financial crime (LBF NRW) on request. According to their own statements, the tax investigators are currently analyzing a package of several social media platforms with 6000 data records from which the alleged million damage results. According to information from the dpa news agency, other federal states are also affected.

“The aim of the investigation is professional influencers who deal with their tax obligations with high criminal energy,” said the state office, which has combined the entire North Rhine-Westphalian tax investigation with around 1200 experts since January 2025. According to its own statements, it is the first state authority of this kind in the Federal Republic. Within the LBF, an “influencer team” had been formed to take a close look at the scene.

“The focus of our influencer team is expressly not young people who have collected a few follower and advertised a few creams or clothes,” said head of the agency Stephanie Thien: “The LBF NRW is also targeting the big fish on social networks.”

Thien emphasized: “There are actors who try to circumvent any tax obligation with high criminal energy. It is not uncommon for an influencer to be used with high criminal energy. Will. “

The investigation is complex, according to Thien: “Because there is no permanent job, often the content creators report abroad with increasing sales to avoid the tax office.” So Dubai is a popular goal.

When advertising in so -called “stories”, which disappear after 24 hours, the evidence is also difficult. However, NRW has initiated “methods of investigation in order to trace advertising partnerships and revenue and prove it provenly,” said Thien. Other countries would have taken this as a role model.

The LBF already leads around 200 ongoing criminal proceedings against influencers living in North Rhine-Westphalia-the cases from the current data package have not yet been included. On average, according to the LBF, a high five -digit tax deficiency is concerned, and in individual cases also about misalignments in the millions.

NRW Minister of Finance Marcus Optendrenk (CDU) told the dpa: “Tax evasion on a large scale occurs wherever money is made on a large scale. It is a requirement of justice that our tax investigation looks closely.”