For a few years now, Akshay Kumar has been on a professional high, delivering back-to-back hits like Housefull 2, Rowdy Rathore, OMG (all 2012) and Special 26 (2013). And now, he has achieved another feat by becoming Bollywood’s highest advance income tax payer for the sixth consecutive  year. “No one will talk about these things openly, but the advance income tax payer list has thrown up a few surprises this year. For the past couple of years, Salman’s films have been blockbusters at the box office, but Akshay remains way ahead of the pack in terms of his tax payment,” says a trade insider.

 

Going by the figures, Akshay has apparently paid Rs. 18 crore, outnumbering the top three Khans — Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir. Last year, Akshay had paid Rs. 20 crore. This year, Salman is in the second spot; he has paid Rs. 11 crore as advance income tax. Shah Rukh Khan comes third, as he has shelled out Rs. 10.5 crore as tax. Aamir, meanwhile, is believed to have paid Rs. 8 crore. Akshay, who is currently busy shooting for Anthony D’Souza’s Boss in Bangkok, remained unavailable for a comment. Meanwhile, among Bollywood actresses, it’s Katrina Kaif who has apparently paid the highest income tax at Rs. 4.5 crore, beating her rival Kareena Kapoor by a narrow margin. Kareena is believed to have coughed up Rs. 4 crore, even as Priyanka Chopra trailed behind with Rs. 2 crore. “Of late, the amount of tax you pay has become a mark of sorts for the star’s success,” adds the trade insider.