Lock on Prithviraj; Income Tax Department issues notice

Actor and director Prithviraj has received a notice from the Income Tax Department. The department has asked him to clarify details regarding his remuneration. He has been asked to provide an explanation regarding payments related to three films — Kaduva, Jana Gana Mana, and Gold.

Although Prithviraj did not receive any remuneration as an actor for these films, it has been found that he earned around ₹40 crore in his capacity as a co-producer. The Income Tax Department has asked for clarification on the payments received under the production company’s name.

Last year, the Income Tax Department had conducted raids at Prithviraj’s offices and residence. The current action is a continuation of that investigation. The assessment wing of the Income Tax Department issued the notice, requesting a response by the 30th of this month. Officials clarified that this is part of an ongoing inquiry that has been underway for several months.

The notice was sent from the Kochi Income Tax office on March 29, and it instructs Prithviraj to submit his explanation by April 29. According to sources, taxation is higher when income is received as an actor, whereas it is comparatively lower when received as a co-producer.