Greece Launches New ‘Tool’ to Crack Down on Tax Evasion
Greek authorities have enhanced tax fraud identification efforts with a new digital ‘tool’ that allows for complete financial profiling and cross-referencing during an on-the-spot inspection with the use of a tablet and scanner.
Dubbed “EleghosLive”, which translates into “live inspection”, the new tool is being used by the Greek Finance Ministry and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) to pin down persistent tax evaders and increase public revenue.
Inspections will begin on the islands in view of the summer tourist season.
In addition to regular on-the-spot inspections by AADE tax units, special fraud forces will be conducting audits daily in efforts to ensure conformity to tax laws and mainly to identify violations related to non-issuance or in accurate issuance of receipts. Authorities said they will be carrying out more than 30,000 inspections this summer.
Among others with “EleghosLive”, tax inspectors will be able to automatically verify the authenticity of receipts issued by cash registers through the use of portable QR scanners; check whether businesses have submitted invoice and receipt data to the myDATA accounting and tax application; carry out immediate cross-checks of tax data; access the financial profile and history of a professional or business under audit; be notified of past violations; issue on the spot audit results and possible sanctions and fines.
In the case violations are found concerning failure to issue cash register receipts or submit sales data to the myDATA platform, the business under review will be shut down for a period of 48 hours up to 10 days depending on the violation.
it is about time. Shops charge full price, they don’t want to give you a receipt and in same cases, when I asked for a receipt they have the “nerve” to say, “ah with a receipt the product is more expensive because of tax” but you know they are already selling with the tax price included anyway, that is the correct way so how come now it is more expensive? because I asked for my rights? Also, a lot of restaurants started doing the same with the excuse that if you pay with cash, it is a different price, but still paying low wages to staff. That is why a lot of restaurants in Athens cannot keep workers because they all go to the islands to get paid more. Greeks needs to learn to pay tax and then go to the streets to protest for the government to invest back in the community!