In a dramatic new twist that’s sure to leave heads spinning, Peyman Kia -currently serving life in prison for espionage – must now cough up tax on the hefty sum he received from Russia’s notorious military intelligence service, the GRU.
The convicted spy gets taxed for his spy wages
The Swedish Administrative Court of Appeal recently overturned a previous ruling and decided that the 1.2 million kronor (paid in US dollars) Kia pocketed from the Russians isn’t just ‘dirty money’ – it’s taxable dirty money. In other words, when it comes to the Swedish Tax Authority, there’s simply no messing around. They want their cut.
A spy by any other name… still pays tax
Kia was found guilty of infiltrating both the Swedish Security Police (Säpo) and the military intelligence service on behalf of Russian intelligence. While his covert escapades earned him a life sentence behind bars, they also paid him rather handsomely – until the taxman came knocking.
No exceptions for hush-hush handouts
This back-and-forth legal tussle saw the Tax Authority’s first attempt to levy taxes on Kia’s secret salary halted by the Administrative Court last summer. Now, in a startling comeback, the higher court is giving the Tax Authority the green light to claim what they see as rightfully theirs. There appears to be no secret mission sly enough to dodge a tax bill forever.
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