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+--- Thread: Otaku Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion (/Thread-Otaku-Fate-Studio-Ufotable-Under-Investigation-for-Tax-Evasion)
Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Oni - 03-29-2019
Very bad. Much sad. Hopefully it isn't a big deal.
Quote:Studio Ufotable, the studio that is known for producing various Fate/ series and The Garden of Sinners movies, is currently being investigated for tax evasion by the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau. A search was first conducted on Studio Ufotable’s offices on March 12 as part of an on-going investigation.
According to a report by Bungeishunju’s Weekly Bunshun Digital magazine, the founder of Studio Ufotable, representative director, and president Hikaru Kondo was allegedly directly receiving some of the revenue gathered from the studio’s merchandise sales which weren’t transferred to the company’s bank account and instead taken directly by hand.
As of press time, no charges have been filed against Hikaru Kondo or Studio Ufotable.
Bungeishunju’s Weekly Bunshun Digital magazine reached out to Studio Ufotable but have yet to receive a response. They also reached out to Hikaru Kondo who did not respond.
Hikaru Kondo first founded Studio Ufotable in 2000 and the studio is best known for the anime adaptation of Type-Moon’s Fate/ franchise. They’re also known for The Garden of Sinners.
Read More: https://blog.jlist.com/news/fate-studio-ufotable-under-investigation-for-tax-evasion/
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Jiggly - 03-29-2019
What a shame. Hopefully it gets worked out.
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Oni - 04-27-2019
An update, but apparently Ufotable owes 400 million yen in tax:
https://blog.jlist.com/news/fate-studio-ufotable-owes-400-million-yen-in-tax/
Hopefully this doesn't affect the Fate franchise negatively.
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Nyx - 04-27-2019
(04-27-2019, 09:52 PM)Oni Wrote: An update, but apparently Ufotable owes 400 million yen in tax:
https://blog.jlist.com/news/fate-studio-ufotable-owes-400-million-yen-in-tax/
Hopefully this doesn't affect the Fate franchise negatively.
400 million Yen comes out to about 3.6 million USD. According to "Media Development Research Institute Inc" an average 30 minute episode of anime costs about $150,000 so that's a fairly sizeable budget cut. The Fate/ series is fantastic so I hope they can find a way to get around such a massive loss, shame that the greed of the CEO is forcing the company to foot the bill for him.
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Jiggly - 04-27-2019
(04-27-2019, 09:52 PM)Oni Wrote: An update, but apparently Ufotable owes 400 million yen in tax:
https://blog.jlist.com/news/fate-studio-ufotable-owes-400-million-yen-in-tax/
Hopefully this doesn't affect the Fate franchise negatively.
Wow. That's the equivalent of $3.5 million. I also read that they misappropriated funds for the 2011 earthquake and the founder was taking money from merch sales. That's a lot of corruption. I wonder if the founder will face charges?
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Drako - 04-28-2019
That's sad to hear. I don't watch Fate but I do have sympathy for anime studios. As of late the anime industry is in sort of a predicament if you will. Distribution is really the main issue. Distribution in the anime industry is horrible. The wages for the artists is around $50K (In USD), which isn't a lot. There are quite a few other problems as well.
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Jiggly - 04-28-2019
(04-28-2019, 08:04 PM)Drako Wrote: That's sad to hear. I don't watch Fate but I do have sympathy for anime studios. As of late the anime industry is in sort of a predicament if you will. Distribution is really the main issue. Distribution in the anime industry is horrible. The wages for the artists is around $50K (In USD), which isn't a lot. There are quite a few other problems as well.
I've actually been reading some pretty drastic stories about new anime artists who do not earn enough to afford their own place to live. Many start out still living at their parents homes. There's also recently been a few controversial articles about producers/management teams being overworked and sustaining health issues. Despite how massive this industry is, it seems rather underpaid and undervalued as a line of work. I hope this changes as distribution grows internationally. I'm aware many studios and companies are starting to speak to American/European companies more often for backing.
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Oni - 01-15-2021
Ufotable has apologized for the tax evasion, paid the full amount owed, and are complying with authorities:
https://comicbook.com/anime/news/demon-slayer-ufotable-public-statement-tax-fraud-charges
Sounds like upper management was also engaged in some shadiness.
RE: Fate Studio Ufotable Under Investigation for Tax Evasion - Greenleaf - 08-02-2021
It's good to know that they accepted their mistakes and apologized. Hope, they would be more responsible in the future.