Influencers allegedly defrauded the tax authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia of around 300 million euros, as confirmed by the State Office for Combating Financial Crime (LBF NRW). Tax investigators are currently analyzing 6,000 data records from various social media platforms that indicate the suspected millions in losses. According to dpa information, other federal states are also affected.
"The target of the investigations are professional influencers who circumvent their tax obligations with a high degree of criminal intent," according to the LBF. Since January 2025, the agency, with approximately 1,200 experts, has been responsible for all tax investigations in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the first state agency of its kind in Germany. A special "influencer team" was established within the LBF to specifically investigate this group.
The tax investigations are proving particularly complex, as Stephanie Thien, head of the LBF NRW, explained: "There is no permanent place of work, and when revenues increase, content creators often register abroad to escape the tax office." Dubai is a preferred target.
Providing evidence is also difficult because advertising in so-called "stories" is only visible for 24 hours. However, the LBF NRW has developed special investigative methods to trace and reliably prove advertising partnerships and revenues. Other federal states have since adopted these techniques.
200 criminal proceedings have already been initiated against influencers living in North Rhine-Westphalia – the cases from the current dataset are not included here. According to the LBF, most of the cases involve high five-figure losses, and in some cases even millions.
NRW Finance Minister Marcus Optendrenk (CDU) said: "Large-scale tax evasion occurs wherever money is earned on a large scale. It is a matter of justice that our tax investigators take a close look."
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