KOCHI: The Income Tax Department is preparing to take action against those who earn huge amounts of money through online games but fail to pay their taxes.

Many people, including a 20-year-old student who earns more than Rs 1 lakh a month, are under surveillance. This also follows the move to put YouTubers, who earn lakhs and crores, under scanner.

Initially, the IT department will ask those who earn large amounts of income to pay taxes. Failing which, action will be taken. Bank accounts of regular players will also be checked. Many people who use authorized and unauthorized online game platforms are earning good income. However, department officials told Kerala Kaumudi that they are not paying the statutory tax.

Most people play on online platforms centred around Mumbai and Delhi. IT professionals are also active in gaming. There are expatriates who send money back home by playing games from the Middle East. Information about them is being collected.

20-year-old gamer

The 20-year-old from Kasaragod district earns more than Rs 1 lakh a month from online games. The game is played using a special code. However, he never pay his taxes. In the preliminary investigation, he replied that he is not aware about it. The kind of game he is playing is also being monitored.

Big money

There are many online games including those related to international cricket and football matches where you can bet on the outcome of the match. There are also incidents in Kerala where students have committed suicide after losing huge amounts of money.