Tax dodger lists tabled without a word on takings
The final draft of the 2018 state budget, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, has some tax dodger lists attached to it. They concern cases of tax evasion and smuggling, yet there is no mention of the money collected.
Authorities have imposed taxes and fines on hundreds of enterprises adding up to over 5 billion euros, but it remains unknown for now how much – if any – of that amount has been secured yet.
The list of customs violations includes old and new cases, including a fine imposed on tobacco company SEKAP of which the current owner has been relieved through an amendment the government brought to Parliament last May. Also detailed is the fine for illegal fuel trade imposed on the company that owns the Agia Zoni II tanker which sank in the Saronic Gulf in September, releasing a large oil slick. It amounts to 411,471 euros.
There is another list of cases of tax law violation, but it does not include any names, probably because most of the enterprises and individuals concerned have resorted to the arbitration committee of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue.
The state has also imposed 153.7 million euros of fines this year concerning 918 cases of bogus and counterfeit invoices whose value added up to 297.9 million euros.
Data showed that the authorities shut down 165 enterprises last year for not issuing the necessary receipts.
