Russian influencer accused of $1.5 million tax evasion
A well-known Russian Instagram star, who teaches others how to become popular online, is under investigation for allegedly failing to pay $1.55 million (120 million rubles) in taxes. She previously pledged to discharge her debt to the state and blamed bad legal advice for her troubles.
A criminal probe into the financial affairs of Aleksandra Mitroshina was announced by the Russian Investigative Committee on Tuesday. The agency claims the influencer used a simplified tax scheme intended for small business owners between October 2020 and May 2022.
However, her social media coaching enterprise was far too big to qualify for the scheme, and Mitroshina used bookkeeping tricks to conceal this fact, according to investigators. They estimate that she owes $1.55 million in taxes for the period.
The announcement of the investigation has not come as a complete surprise, as Mitroshina herself revealed last June that the Russian tax authorities suspected her of evasion, an allegation she denied. At that time, she pledged to pay her dues, advised her followers not to neglect paperwork, and to seek a second opinion rather than relying on the guidance of a single tax lawyer.
Mitroshina has yet to comment on the investigation. According to her social media accounts, she has been residing in Dubai since last year.
She was among the early Instagram users in Russia, having set up her account in 2011 and has since attracted more than 4.2 million followers. Styling herself as the “mother of blog” – a play on the “mother of God,” Mitroshina monetizes her follower base by coaching and teaching others how to be successful online. Her courses reportedly cost between $500 and $6,450.
The 28-year-old, who studied journalism and creative media, mostly focuses on lifestyle and fitness in her content, although in 2019, she joined a national online campaign against domestic violence.
