Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has become the highest celebrity taxpayer in India for the financial year 2024. According to a report by Fortune India, Khan paid a staggering ₹92 crore in taxes, securing the top spot. Next is Tamil actor Vijay, who contributed ₹80 crore, while Salman Khan ranked third with a tax payment of ₹75 crore. Surprisingly, last year’s highest taxpayer from Bollywood Akshay Kumar is not on the list.
Vijay, Salman Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan among the top 10 celeb taxpayers
Salman Khan is followed by megastar Amitabh Bachchan contributing ₹71 crore in taxes, placing him fourth on the list. Meanwhile, cricketer Virat Kohli ranked fifth with ₹66 crore. Ajay Devgn, a major player in Bollywood, took the sixth spot with a tax payment of ₹42 crore. The list continues with former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni, who paid ₹38 crore, securing the seventh position, while actor Ranbir Kapoor ranked eighth with ₹36 crore in taxes. Hrithik Roshan and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar both paid ₹28 crore each, rounding out the top 10.
Kapil Sharma, Kareena Kapoor Khan among the top 20
Several other prominent figures made their mark on the top 20 list. Comedian and TV host Kapil Sharma contributed ₹26 crore, followed by Sourav Ganguly with ₹23 crore. Kareena Kapoor Khan paid ₹20 crore in taxes, Shahid Kapoor ₹14 crore, and cricketer Hardik Pandya ₹13 crore. South Indian stars Mohanlal and Allu Arjun both paid ₹14 crore each. Meanwhile, Bollywood stars Pankaj Tripathi and Katrina Kaif contributed ₹11 crore each.
Akshay Kumar is not on the list
It is a surprise that Akshay Kumar is not a part of the list. Akshay was the highest taxpayer in India for 2022. According to the Income Tax department, he paid an income tax of Rs.29.5 crore. He was also awarded Samman Patra, an honour certificate from the income tax department.
Akshay had a series of flops this year with the latest being 'Khel Khel Mein' and 'Sarfira' while Shah Rukh had a highly successful 2023, with three major film releases: Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki. Jawan led the box office with domestic earnings of ₹643.87 crore, while Pathaan followed closely with ₹543.05 crore. Although Dunki didn't perform as strongly, it still brought in ₹212.42 crore, adding to Khan's exceptional year.