German authorities crack down on influencer tax evasion

Tax authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia have announced they are interrogating suspected cases of influencer tax evasion more rigorously. Other German federal states are planning to follow suit.

NRW announces “expert teams” for influencer tax evasion

Tax authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia suspect that influencers in the federal state owe around 300 million euros in tax and have established “expert influencer teams” to combat the problem. The teams are the first of their kind in Germany, and consist of 1.200 experts who analyse data from several social media platforms.

“The target of our influencer teams isn’t young people who have gathered a few followers and advertised a few creams or items of clothing,” Stephanie Thien of the NRW State Office for Financial Crime explained. Tax authorities are interested in the income and tax returns of professional influencers.

According to Thien, it is common for influencers to earn tens of thousands of euros per month but not even have a tax ID. With no fixed workplace, as their turnover increases, influencers often register their earnings abroad to avoid paying tax. Dubai is a popular destination to register earnings.

Thien said that tax authorities now have ongoing cases against 200 professional influencers residing in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Hamburg, Thuringia and other states to interrogate influencer tax evasion

Since authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia announced their new department, tax offices in other federal states said they will more stringently interrogate professional influencers’ income.

A spokesperson for the Finance Ministry in Thuringia stated that advertisements and product placement on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch and OnlyFans will be the focus of their investigations.

Finance Senator for Hamburg, Andreas Dressel (SPD), explained that the city state intends to audit 140 influencers, with the results expected by the first quarter of 2026.