Published 16:57 IST, February 5th 2025 India has accused Kia of evading taxes of $155 million by misclassifying component imports, but the carmaker has denied wrongdoing. Check details: Accusation on Kia India: India has accused South Korea's Kia of evading taxes of $155 million by misclassifying component imports, but the carmaker has denied wrongdoing, the latest fight by a foreign automaker with New Delhi over tariffs, according to a document and two sources. Kia competes with Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki in the world's third-largest auto market, where it has a share of 6 per cent of roughly 4 million units a year, and its Kia Seltos and Sonet SUVs are among the top sellers.
Foreign companies in India face headaches from high taxes and long-drawn-out investigations. For example, Tesla has publicly complained about high taxes on imported EVs and Volkswagen last week sued over a demand for a record $1.4 billion in back taxes that it called "impossibly enormous".
Tax officers sent a confidential notice to Kia's Indian unit in April 2024, flagging alleged tax evasion of 13.5 billion rupees, according to a government notice Reuters is reporting for the first time. The offence centered on the incorrect declaration of imports of components for the assembly of the carmaker's luxury Carnival minivan, the notice showed.
In a statement to Reuters, Kia India said it made "a detailed response, supported by comprehensive evidence and documentation to substantiate" its stand and the authori.
