Chinese tax authorities refuse to accept the money that Ai Weiwei received

Beijing - The Chinese tax office refuses to accept the money collected by supporters of the renowned artist Ai Weiwei to pay an alleged tax shortfall. This was announced today by the AFP agency, citing the artist's lawyer. The office is demanding payment of taxes for a company that belongs to his wife by Tuesday.
Ai stated on Friday that he would use the amount collected by his supporters for payment. The tax office demands 15 million yuan (almost 44.5 million CZK) for alleged tax evasion and a fine.
According to the lawyer, Ai needs to deposit an amount of eight million yuan (23.7 million CZK) to attempt to achieve a review of the decision regarding the payment of the demanded taxes. This is in accordance with Chinese law, but the office has now changed its position and "refuses to accept the payment," said lawyer Pu Zhiqiang. More than the required amount had already appeared in the artist's account by Sunday evening - it was 8.69 million yuan.
Contributions from many people - other artists, dissidents, and thousands of anonymous sympathizers who want to help him deal with the tax problem - have been flowing into the artist's account since early November.
The Chinese state newspaper Global Times warned last week that Ai could be charged with illegal fundraising, downplaying the entire campaign as not representing the broader Chinese public.
In response to the newspaper's accusation that he is wealthy and does not need to borrow, Ai emphasized that he would repay all loans to donors. According to Ai, however, the fundraising shows that there exists a certain group of citizens who are not afraid to express their opinions and use their money as a form of voting. "In the current internet age, society has its own opinions and values. People have chosen this method to reassess the government's accusations that I have committed tax evasion," he said.
Ai Weiwei was arrested earlier this spring during a crackdown on government critics and subsequently held without charges in a secret location for three months; he was released in late June. The accusations against Ai of tax evasion are seen by human rights defenders as another way to punish him for his criticism of the authoritarian Chinese Communist government.
The authorities are pursuing the artist for an alleged tax shortfall that the company he works for supposedly owes to China, but which is owned by his wife. The artist has refused to pay the amount until the accounting books of the design company are returned and he can discuss the entire matter with his former manager and accountant. No evidence of tax evasion has been presented. Ai is also merely an artist for the company, not a director or manager, yet the fine was addressed in his name.