“Lists of suspects” liable to be audited

After 18 months in office the Finance minister holds 5 burning reports, which point the way for the tax audits. The targets are large businesses, large real estate property owners and freelancers. 

According to information the… celebratory announcements will be espoused by 4 ministries in callaboration with one another: Finance, Justice, Citizen Protection and Infrastructure.   

As will be announced the tax police, the fiancial prosecutor and the Rambos of SDOE, as well as the market police and private auditors hired by the ministry, will all join the battle. 

According to the reports that were handed to Papakonstantinou, the audits are targeting: 

• 1.700 individuals who have liquidated large real estate property without declaring the received income,
• the tax statements of 150 individuals,
• very large companies with more than 30 mil. euros in turnover, publicly traded etc (1.137 in total).

The needy 

Specifically, the audits will target taxpayers that own large real estate property and deposits but, as data cross checks revealed, were declaring EKAS incomes… 

1.875 individuals have already been placed under the financial microscope, while their bank accounts have been opened. 

The audits will also target: 

• freelancers (plumbers, lawyers, bar proprietors etc),
• large contractors,
• expensive real estate owners that have not paid Large Real Estate Property taxes before,
• businessmen that concealed last year’s business pay,
• overdue state debtors (debts of over 200.000 euros), singers, suppliers and more, who all declare small income while leading a luxurious life.

Funds deposited abroad

Furthermore, the Financial Crime Unit will also check the deposits outside of Greece, amounting to several million euros, the holders of which did not pay taxes upon the received interest. The battle against tax evasion will also include the regulations of the new tax law, which provide even for the arrest of those who do not pay VAT or have overdue debts. 

Vacant properties and inheritances will also be checked – that is, bank deposits of people who have passed away – but also abandoned real estate that hasn’t been claimed by any heirs (due to burdens or extremely high inheritance tax) and can be claimed by the state. 

In addition, the audits will investigate: 

• owners of property leased by the Culture ministry
• supermarket suppliers with overdue debts
• suppliers of electronic products chains with overdue debts
• singers and notaries with overdue debts

According to the working groups, the selection criteria are based on risk analysis methods, quality characteristics and financial data such as legal entity, industry activity, infringements and omissions, data on hidden taxable property, tax offences from the past, overall fiscal picture of taxpayers, etc.  

The aim is to collect 500 million euros within 2011 and another 3 billion by the end of 2015.