Did you know GOAT star Thalapathy Vijay has emerged as the 2nd highest tax-paying celeb after Shah Rukh Khan?

The latest list of the highest-income tax-paying celebrities in India for 2024 is out, and Thalapathy Vijay has made headlines by becoming the second-highest tax payer after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. Vijay, a major name in the Tamil film industry, paid an impressive ?80 crore in taxes this year. Topping the list is Shah Rukh Khan, the star of Jawan, who reportedly paid ?92 crore, according to a report by Fortune India.

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Vijay paid ?80 crore in taxes this year

Thalapathy Vijay, who is currently generating buzz for his anticipated entry into politics, secured the second spot by paying ?80 crore in taxes. Vijay’s rising influence in both cinema and politics is evident with this massive tax payment, closely followed by Salman Khan, who paid ?75 crore, and Amitabh Bachchan with ?71 crore.

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Vijay is presently starring in The Greatest of All Time (GOAT), a film expected to perform well at the box office. Interestingly, Vijay has reportedly become the first Indian actor to charge ?200 crore for a film, surpassing big names like Shah Rukh Khan, Rajinikanth, and Prabhas. His upcoming movie, directed by Venkat Prabhu, hit theatres on September 5 and is expected to be a major success. Producer Archana Kalpathi told?Galatta.com in an interview?that Vijay’s ?200 crore paycheck was a reflection of his continued box office dominance, marked by seven consecutive blockbusters. The film, made with a budget between ?300 and ?400 crore, has already turned a profit through its pre-release sales.

The film, GOAT, is a Tamil-language science fiction action movie produced by AGS Entertainment, with Vijay in dual roles. The star-studded cast includes Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Ajmal Ameer, Sneha, and others.

Ajay Devgn is next on the list of high taxpayers, having paid ?42 crore. Devgn appeared in two films this year, Shaitaan and Maidan, and is set to star in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming Singham Again. Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor, who recently appeared in Animal, paid ?36 crore in taxes. Despite being one of Bollywood's top stars, Alia Bhatt is absent from the list this year. Others who made significant contributions include Hrithik Roshan with ?28 crore and Kapil Sharma with ?26 crore.

Among female actors, Kareena Kapoor paid ?20 crore, while her husband, Saif Ali Khan, was not on this year’s list. Mohanlal and Allu Arjun, along with Shahid Kapoor, each paid ?14 crore in taxes. Kiara Advani paid ?12 crore, and Katrina Kaif, along with Pankaj Tripathi, contributed ?11 crore. Aamir Khan, who has been taking a break since the release of Lal Singh Chaddha, paid ?10 crore this year.

One notable omission from the list is Akshay Kumar, who has previously featured prominently. In 2022, Akshay received a ‘Samman Patra’ from the Income Tax Department for being the highest taxpayer in India. Reflecting on his father’s advice, Akshay previously shared, "My dad taught me to pay my taxes. I don’t want anyone to come to my house and ask where I have hidden the money.”

Virat Kohli leads sportspersons as top taxpayer

On the sports front, cricket superstar Virat Kohli is the highest tax-paying Indian athlete, having paid ?66 crore in taxes for the financial year 2023-24, according to Fortune India.

Following Kohli is former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni, who, despite retiring from international cricket in 2020 and playing only in the IPL, paid ?38 crore in taxes, securing seventh place on the overall list. Kohli’s earnings are bolstered by his cricket contracts and major brand endorsements with companies like Puma and Audi.

Kohli, currently enjoying a break after his ODI series against Sri Lanka, is leading among sports personalities, while Dhoni remains a significant financial force in the cricketing world despite his limited appearances.

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With Kohli’s net worth surpassing ?1,000 crore, his wealth continues to grow, driven by his cricket earnings and entrepreneurial ventures like his fitness brand, ‘One8,’ in partnership with Puma.

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