You can run away from a lot of things in life but you definitely can’t hide from paying taxes. The Tax Department will always have their eyes on you.
Just recently, on his TikTok account @say_shazril, Dr Shazril shared a reminder to all the YouTubers, TikTokers and influencers out there, or anyone who thinks they can outsmart LHDN. In 3 different TikTok clips, Dr. Shazril urged everyone to pay their taxes because there is no corner in this world where the tax department cannot track you down.
“They’re watching, and they know everything about you”
Dr. Shazril, who is also the winner for 2021’s Influencer MeleTOP admitted that he initially had no knowledge about taxes, until he was contacted by LHDN in October 2020. He was asked to go to their office where Dr. Shazril was presented with a thick bundle of documents, which contained the evidence of his social media campaigns for multiple brands.
“My face was everywhere in the document. I was truly kantoi-ed,” Dr. Shazril said.
And the interrogation began.
The LHDN officer asked about how much he charged for each campaign and how much he earned for his own shows – Tanya Doktor and MyDoctors. Dr. Shazril did not intend to lie and he spilled everything he knew. From LHDN’s investigation, they knew that Dr. Shazril had a few assets and from there, they found out that he made around RM160,000 annually between 2018 and 2019.
The interrogation was a “test” to see if Dr. Shazril was being honest. In short, he had missed paying RM50,000 in taxes.
“I almost fainted hearing that amount. How was I going to pay that amount in a month?”
The LHDN officer, however, was polite and helpful. He asked Dr. Shazril to go home and find all the receipts that could exempt him from certain taxes. It was a lot of work but eventually, Dr. Shazril only had to pay RM40,000 in taxes in a few installments.
Now, Dr. Shazril makes it a habit to keep all receipts and isolate them in different bundles based on the months.
“Pay your taxes. This is what contributes to the economy. Don’t be like the old me, and fulfill your responsibilities.”
You can watch all 3 of his TikTok videos here, here, and here.
You can try to run if you really want to but one fine day, possibly when you least expect it, LHDN officers will come knocking at your door, and that means you’ll have a lot on your plate to handle.
