Greece: New mystery shoppers hired to uncover tax dodgers

 

varoufakis-540x304A new plan to tackle countries chronicle tax evasion problem involves wiring non-professional inspectors on casual contracts of no longer then two months who would be paid by the hour. These individuals would carry on themselves special sound and video equipment to capture evidence on tax evasion while posing as a regular customers. The data gathered would be used by the authorities immediately to issue penalties and sanctions.

The news that thousands of casual mystery shoppers will be everywhere has spread out across the business community and provoked opposition to argue that such action is ridiculous. “If they expect to combat tax evasion this way, they are not only dangerous, since they do not grasp the legal ramifications of the measure, or its effectiveness, but are also ridiculous and expose the country to ridicule,” New Democracy spokesman Costas Karagounis said.

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Slovenia: Fiscalization law under public debate

dursThe Ministry of Finance of Republic of Slovenia on March 4th has announced a draft law on the new obligation which introduces mandatory use of fiscal cash registers in Slovenia. The text of the law on fiscalization will be published up to 20 March in the inter-ministerial coordination at government level and at the same time in the public debate, then by the ministry, perhaps even changed before it will be awarded in the assessment of the government. According to the plans, the fiscal cash registers will be compulsory from 1 October this year. The Ministry has decided to use alternative period – the second option so far on 1 January 2016.
Exemption list is short and covers: state bodies and institutions, local authorities and other bodies governed by public law, supply of goods on board of an aircraft in flight and in the sale of services through vending machines.

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Italy: Reform involves digital receipts, electronic invoices and traceability

source: Marco Mobili

220px-Italian_revenue_stamp_used_1935What has been introduced as an idea in 2006-2008 will start on January 1 2017, when all merchants in Italy will replace or upgrade their outdated fiscal cash registers with new and more conventional systems capable of producing digital receipts with electronic signatures to assure every transaction, whether it is B2C, B2B, G2B or private money transfers, will become traceable!

The first step will be the following. For retailers, artisans and professionals it will be mandatory to report their daily income to the Treasury. This rule will subsequently be extended to large retailers (supermarkets, superstores, shopping malls, discount markets) and to all retailers using vending machines.

The mandatory daily reporting won’t take place using only the one million cash registers spread all over the country. Electronic receipts, on the contrary, may run on new and more versatile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

See more in: fiscal encyclopaedia

Austria: Tax Reform Commission Report to fight shadow economy

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Specially formed action team handed over the 200-page report on the tax gap caused by tax evasion to the Austrian Government Officials. Report emphasises the scope of frauds carried out on cash registers and suggests standardisation of invoicing systems to fight shadow economy.

This practice, which is now exercised in most developed economies, requires such detailed report to serve Ministry as a launching pad for tax reforms. Given the arguments made here, politicians are left with no options to oppose, Austria is on its way to fiscalization.

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Germany: Tax Zapper found, maker of “AriadneNT” fined € 1,639,652.55

A combiUSB-stickned efforts of international and domestic tax investigators examining ice cream parlour have proven that manipulations with zapper were carried out since December 2003, which led to a significant reduction of actual sales.

A manipulation program used for this reduction is a game module found in the POS system made by AriadneNT, activated using USB-stick was a password-based file called “Asteroids.exe” (the password was later uncovered by the state police).

Tax loss = €2.69 million

To learn more about this case visit HERE

SPAIN: AEAT storms multiple sites to prevent organised tax evasion

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SPANISH Tax Agency (AEAT) has launched a crusade against zappers, which allow taxpayers to easily hide accounting records.

In December 2014, a special task force with AEAT technicians uncovered the complex fraudulent practices in a chain of Italian restaurants. 70 officials from 8 regional offices, along with police officers simultaneously stormed 15 sites where chain operated throughout Spain. Such organised action was necessary to prevent POS software operators to erase tax records and thus destroy tax evasion evidence.

The action uncovered a sophisticated system designed to fictitiously reduce revenue from restaurants through a software application that produces double set of books. The operation “Pasta Fresca” (Fresh Pasta) allowed AEAT to break into system matrix installed by the order of Italian franchise owned corporation. The name of the restaurants is not disclosed due to ongoing investigation.

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Romania: Upgrade to electronic journal and online tax lottery

Legisla646x404tion upgrade to Cash registers equipped with electronic journal which connects to a database of NAFA (Romanian Tax Agency), was approved December 2014 by the Government.

Ministry shows benefit of the new system (devices equipped with electronic journal) brings traders to eliminate paper rolls acquisition costs (average economy / year / unit in operation ≈ 150 euro) and their storage obligation for a 2 year period.

The Ministry has also announced its intention to establish an online tax lottery with cash prizes for holders of tax receipts. According to the ministry, monthly 160 prizes will be awarded for each NAFA region, with expected value of each prize 1,200 lei (350 USD).

New York: Congressman Grimm pleads guilty to tax evasion

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Associated press reports: U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm admitted Tuesday to federal tax evasion, pleading guilty to charges he had fought as he won re-election last fall but that now leave his congressional future in question.

Grimm entered a guilty plea to one count of aiding in the filing of a false tax return. He had been set to go to trial in February on charges of evading taxes by hiding more than $1 million in sales and wages while running a Manhattan health-food restaurant.

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Slovenia: DURS to enforce invoice control in real-time

DURSOn the 04/12/2014 meting, the Slovenian government adopted decision related to the amendment of measures against grey economy. One of the conclusions was to introduce from 1st September 2015 the “real cash registers”. Last year, Slovenian previous government, has implemented “virtual cash registers”. Every cash register owner should have a program that prevents the deletion or change of invoices. But taxpayers was given the option of choice whether to use cash register or manual invoices. Although the tax revenue is increased by “virtual cash register” implementation, it was observed that many taxpayers have replaced their cash registers with manual invoicing booklets!!

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Belgium: Black box installation to be completed in 2015

fiscal data module and VAT smart cardAll  taxpayers registered in hospitality sector in Belgium are obliged to register for the use of Certified Cash Register System, at their Tax Agency by February 28, 2014. The system will need to be installed at taxpayer’s premises before the end of 2015.

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