Two years ago, it was announced that ufotable was under investigation for tax evasion. Last year, it was announced that Hikaru Kondo had been charged with tax evasion, and now in Season 3 of this unfortunate situation, ufotable and Hikaru Kondo have been indicted for violating the Corporation Tax Act and the Consumption Tax Act, respectively.
The Tokyo Public Prosecutor’s Office has ordered the studio to pay back 137 million yen ($1.24 million USD) in back taxes that are owed. A tax return has since been amended and all owed taxes have already been paid back.
Thank God for that Demon Slayer: Mugen Train money, eh?
The investigation uncovered that Kondo had taken money from cafes owned and operated by ufotable and placed it in a safe inside of his home. He then falsely reported his income in 2015, 2017, and 2018. He ended up concealing around 441 million yen ($4 million USD) while stating that the cafes were low-income businesses.
ufotable issued an apology to fans for the shame they brought on themselves and that they will continue to comply with laws and regulations.
Kondo stepped down from ufotable in 2019.
Source: Crunchyroll
