AY 2022-23: Former BharatPe MD Ashneer Grover, his wife Madhuri Jain pay Rs 8.2 cr advance tax

Former BharatPe managing director Ashneer Grover has paid Rs 7.1 crore advance tax for the assessment year 2022-23, a source said on Wednesday.

Grover's wife Madhuri Jain has paid Rs 1.1 crore advance tax, the source said.

"Ashneer Grover has paid Rs 7.1 crore advance tax on March 8 and Madhuri Jain has paid Rs 1.1 crore in advance tax for assessment year 2022-23. This makes him one of the highest taxpayers among startup founders for two years in a row," the source, who did not wish to be named, said.

A query sent to Grover did not elicit any reply. Grover is currently under the lens of tax authorities for tax evasion due to alleged misappropriation of funds at BharatPe.

GST authorities are now scrutinising BharatPe books of the last four years to see if bogus invoices were issued for services as well. BharatPe had stripped its co-founder Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain of all positions after a preliminary report of an external audit commissioned by the fintech firm's board showed that the duo indulged in alleged misdeeds and financial irregularities.

GST officials have since last year been investigating the books of BharatPe for alleged issuance of invoices without any actual supply of goods and the Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) in October 2021 had conducted a search operation at the fintech firm's head office.