Finance Ministry plans a four-pronged ‘attack’ against tax offenders

Online link between businesses and Taxis system

The Greek Finance Ministry is attempting to curb the loss of tax collectible revenue by preparing a 4-pronged ‘attack’ against tax offenders for failing to issue receipts. The ministry plans to reintroduce a provision for the imposition of one-off fines for tax offenders; activating the measure that allows tax authorities to shut down a business for a 30 day period if the establishment is caught for second offence regarding the issuing of tax receipts; the introduction of a new provision making it compulsory for businesses to link their cash registers with the ‘Taxis’, the online tax system; and finally, imposing a new tax system based on comparative turnover data of businesses whose revenues fluctuate depending on the frequency and timing of tax audits. Through the link of cash registers the tax services hope to be able to monitor, even in real time, any extra-ordinary spikes in the issuing of receipts by businesses, a practice widely used by businessmen who had inside information on imminent audits.