Tax avoidance

The increased number of inspections at food service establishments this summer appear to have paid off in areas with high rates of tax dodging by enterprises.

According to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, bars and restaurants are no longer the worst offenders in terms of tax evasion. This unenviable distinction now goes to pawnshops.

Monitoring tax violation cases from the last five years brings greater gains to state coffers, the director of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, Giorgos Pitsilis, says in an interview with Kathimerini.

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue issued a circular on Monday that effectively ends the hostage status of tens of thousands of taxpayers and enterprises over past tax violations that are more than a decade old.

To the Editor:

Re “Trump’s Campaign Chief Was Millions in Debt to Pro-Russia Interests” (news article, July 20):

Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis Thursday expressed irritation at a decision by the Council of State deeming successive extensions to the statue of limitations for tax fraud unconstitutional.

The State Legal Council is passing the hot potato of the statute of limitations for old tax violations (before 2006) to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue.

Tax authorities, especially those responsible for monitoring large enterprises and wealthy taxpayers, often proceed to freezing and confiscating assets in bank accounts that are many times higher than the amount owed to the state by the debtor, Kathimerini understands.

Hundreds of thousands of tax audits of outstanding cases will be canceled following a decision on Tuesday of the Plenary Session of the Council of State.

According to the ruling, any audits conducted that stretch back beyond a five-year limit have been deemed unconstitutional.

The Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) was signed by ministers and high-level officials from 76 countries, including Turkey, on June 8 in Paris.        

More than 2.5 million taxpayers will have to pay their first income tax tranche by late July, and the Finance Ministry is concerned by the drop in tax revenues and is offering taxpayers the options of paying their dues in 12 or 24 monthly installments.