Tax inspectors who did random audits between July 27 and August 2 found out that almost 90 percent of businesses that evade taxes do not issue receipts.
According to figures released by the General Secretariat of Public Revenue (GGDE), 18 percent of businesses inspected evade taxes with an average of three tax offenses each. The most common tax code violation is the non-issuing of receipts, reaching almost 90 percent of those who evade taxes.
Teams of tax inspectors conducted 3,672 audits in 3,620 businesses all over Greece during that period. They discovered a total of 1,956 tax violations in 641 businesses. Out of the 641 businesses, 532 did not issue receipts, or issued receipts with lower amounts than the actual transaction.
More specifically, 2,104 checks were done in eating establishments like restaurants, tavernas and snack bars, where it was discovered that 324 of them dodged taxes.
The Investigation and Safeguard of Public Revenue Agency (YEDDE) audited 285 businesses in several tourist areas such as Santorini, Rhodes, Lefkada, Chalkidiki and Athens and in 109 of them discovered 472 tax violations. Statistically, it was found that in tourist areas, 54 percent of businesses evade taxes.
Angry revelers chase away tax inspectors in religious fete in Rhodes
Dozens of revelers at a church fete in a village on the island of Rhodes chased away tax inspectors as they tried to inspect if fair vendors issued receipts on Wednesday night.
The villagers of Maritsa verbally assaulted the tax inspectors and threatened them with violence. The police escorting the tax officials had to shield them from the angry mob, according to Rodiaki.gr news website.
This was the second incident in less than a month of tax inspectors bullied in Rhodes. Similar incidents have happened on other islands as well.
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