KRGV.com

BEIJING (AP) Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei says he's started returning money to his supporters after exhausting all legal channels to fight a massive tax bill. The supporters gave him the cash after the government levied a $2.4 million tax bill on Ai's design firm last year in what his backers saw as punishment for his activism.

Ai used the money sent him to pay a $1.3 million guarantee the tax bureau required before he was allowed to challenge the tax bill. Ai said at the time he was treating the money as loans that he would repay.

Ai said Wednesday the firm has started returning the money to his supporters. Ai lost a final appeal in his tax case late last month.