Sweeping audits and crosschecks to combat tax evasion

Following the order of General Secretary of State Revenue Charis Theocharis and in accordance with the Business Action Plan for 2014-2015 tax offices and customs are thrown into the fight against tax evasion.

The plan provides for crippling audits and crosschecks in deposits, credit cards, real estate, yachts, VAT returns, invoices and electronic doctors’ prescriptions, which are expected to reach 316,000 this year.

The General Secretariat of State Revenue expects the fines and fees to bring an amount of about 50 million euros. Meanwhile, the plan also provides for the opening of bank accounts for arrears of up to 1,000 euros. As it seems, tax auditors will include once again the past-due borrowers and certain categories of professions, suspected of tax evasion.

The Secretariat believes that it will collect about 2.2 billion euros in 2014 from a reservoir 53 billion that are considered old debts, as well as 30% of new arrears totaling 9 billion euros.