A 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.
The head of the Greek tourism confederation (SETE) proposed instead that the best way to beat tax evasion would be through exclusive use of credit cards and tax rebates, simply forbidding cash transactions over 100 euros and paying by credit card that would automatically force transaction to show on the cash register.
New government however recognised they have to radically enforce control over the small and medium enterprises to reduce the tax gap. Although Greece has pioneered many safety features on the fiscal cash register, since 1988 when the fiscal law was first enacted, fraudsters have found new ways to dodge taxation. Double fiscal tills, magic ink fading on the receipts or simply not giving out fiscal receipts are simple frauds investigators are finding on the field. It is matter of time when fiscal logo will be replaced by electronic signature making each receipt instantly verifiable and lottery material to increase consumer incentive.
