Revenue Service recently published data revealing that tate-aligned broadcasters Rustavi 2 and Imedi TV owe the largest outstanding tax debts to Georgia’s budget. As of April, the combined tax arrears of the two companies reached nearly 42 million GEL.
Rustavi 2 leads with a debt of 25,070,949.47 GEL, while Imedi TV follows closely with 16,895,180.72 GEL in unpaid taxes.
BMG requested figures that also revealed that some opposition-leaning or recently shuttered outlets are behind. TV Pirveli owes 9,185,380.65 GEL, and the now-closed Mtavari Arkhi leaves behind a liability of 9,308,282.73 GEL.
However, not all broadcasters are in the red. As the Revenue Service declared, ‘Postv,’ ‘TV Company Kavkasia,’ and ‘Formula’ currently carry zero tax debt. The same goes for the Public Broadcaster, a state-funded entity receiving 126 million GEL from taxpayers this year.
The obvious contrast raises questions about fiscal bias and political favoritism in Georgian media, especially as some of the most indebted outlets are closely tied to the ruling party.
