[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Yoo Seom-na, the eldest daughter of the late Yoo Byung-eon, former chairman of Semo Group, won both the first and second trials in a lawsuit challenging the tax authorities' imposition of 1.6 billion KRW in comprehensive income tax.
The Seoul High Court Administrative Division 1-2 (Presiding Judges Kim Jong-ho, Lee Seung-han, Shim Jun-bo) ruled on the 12th in the appeal trial of Yoo's lawsuit against the Yeoksam Tax Office chief, canceling the rejection of the comprehensive income tax correction request, affirming the plaintiff's victory as in the first trial.
Yoo operated a consulting firm called Moraeal Design and issued sales tax invoices under the name of "design consulting services" to design and interior company A from 2009 to 2014. Following the Sewol ferry disaster, the tax authorities conducted an investigation and determined that Yoo had entered into a false consulting contract with company A, revising her comprehensive income tax for 2009-2014 to approximately 1.674 billion KRW.
The tax notice was sent to Yoo's Seoul address, but at that time, she was detained in France. Ultimately, the notice was returned marked "recipient unknown." Subsequently, the tax authorities substituted the procedure with public notification. Yoo's side requested a revision of the amount, arguing that the tax overlapped with the confirmed confiscation amount imposed in the criminal trial, but when the tax authorities refused, they filed a lawsuit.
The first trial ruled in Yoo's favor, stating, "The defendant seemed to have known the plaintiff's address in France, and even if they did not, they could have confirmed it through government agencies but did not attempt to identify and deliver the notice." The tax authorities appealed, but the second trial reached the same conclusion.
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