Hong Kong Journalists Face New Tax Scrutiny Amid Press Freedom Erosion

The Hong Kong Journalists Association reports alarming tax investigations affecting journalists and media outlets as authorities intensify their scrutiny, exacerbating existing fears regarding press freedom.

Journalists in Hong Kong are voicing significant concerns about new challenges to their already precarious situation, with tax inspections adding to the anxiety stemming from a national security crackdown initiated five years ago. The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) announced that it, along with several independent news outlets and their founders, have recently come under the scrutiny of tax investigations, further highlighting the diminishing state of press freedom in the territory.

Reports indicate that the tax inquiries have extended beyond media personnel to include the personal tax situations of journalists’ spouses or parents. Many of those under investigation have been tasked with producing extensive financial documentation for the past seven years, with some receiving unexpected tax demands, raising doubts about the motivations behind these actions.

Selina Cheng, the chairperson of the HKJA, criticized the lack of reasonable evidence for many of these investigations, asserting that the authorities often failed to account for the necessary business expenses, leading to inflated income assessments. Cheng emphasized that journalists typically operate within a modest financial framework and now face additional pressures to prove their innocence against these tax claims.

Although the overall number of tax investigations in Hong Kong remains relatively low—approximately 1,800 completed by the Inland Revenue Department in the last year—the department maintains that the reviews are conducted through standard procedures without bias towards a taxpayer’s industry or background. However, the implications of such investigations intertwine with a broader context of declining freedoms for journalists in the region, further complicating the already delicate environment of press autonomy.