Nekokurage says they didn't file taxes because they didn't know they had to.
Nekokurage, also known as Erika Ikeda, the creator of The Apothecary Diaries manga, was charged by The Fukuoka Regional Taxation Bureau on February 29 for allegedly not reporting around 260 million yen (approximately US$1.7 million) in earnings and avoiding paying about 47 million yen (approximately US$310,000) in taxes from 2019 to 2021. The National Tax Bureau stated that the money, earned from manga sales, was used to buy property.
Nekokurage replied on Twitter, saying they didn't file taxes due to not knowing they had to. They admitted to paying the owed taxes and fees in 2022 after being told by the tax office. They've sought help from a tax accountant to ensure proper filings. Nekokurage stressed that this issue is personal and unrelated to the author of The Apothecary Diaries light novels or others involved in creating the manga.
Natsu Hyūga started posting the original story on the "Shōsetsuka ni Narō" website in October 2011. Shufunotomo began printing the novels with illustrations by Touko Shino in August 2014. J-Novel Club releases the novels digitally.
Nekokurage started the manga in Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine in May 2017. The 13th volume was released by Square Enix on March 25. The series is published in English by Square Enix Manga.
The light novel series led to an anime that started on October 21, premiering with the first three episodes and running for two quarters. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it aired in Japan and also provides an English dub. A second season is set for 2025.
Sources: Kyodo News, Nekokurage's Twitter account
