The Independent Public Revenue Authority and the Criminal Investigations Directorate of the Hellenic Police proceeded to uncover an international and well-organized tax evasion ring, in which Greek and Chinese businessmen, companies supplying cash registers, special mechanisms and software, accountants and technicians participated, in an operation, codenamed "Paper Dragon".
In more detail, as announced today by the administrator of the AADE, Giorgos Pitsilis, through anonymous complaints on the relevant platform and the appodixi application, businesses were identified in Komotini, Larissa and Thessaloniki, which were issuing receipts with an unreadable QR code.
The investigation that followed found that:
•These companies were transmitting to the AADE amounts reduced by 90% compared to the actual value of the receipts, by moving the decimal point by one decimal place.
•Both these companies, and 285 others, are of Chinese interest, and had purchased machinery and software from the same suppliers.
•The two companies have Chinese managers, residents of Slovakia, a common representative, a Greek with a history of participation in companies with suspicious tax behavior, and a common accountant with their suppliers.
•All businesses have up to 16 branches per VAT number.
•All businesses had issued, within 27 days, 220,000 receipts, with a total declared value of over 3 million euros.
•When the payment is in cash, this payment method is selected in the mechanism and the value is transmitted reduced by up to 90%.
•When payment is by card, this payment method is selected and the value is transferred in the full amount.
The operation took place simultaneously, in 11 locations, throughout Greece: Kallithea, P. Faliro, Patisia, Porto Rafti, Komotini, Kos, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Karditsa, Larissa, Corinth.
Under the supervision of prosecutors, the auditors conducted on-site inspections at the business headquarters, as well as virtual deliveries of goods, impersonating customers.
In total, copies of server contents, database files, hard drives, USBs, computers, tax mechanisms, printers
Three days after the operation, one of the main suspects, the sole partner/Manager of the IT company (Chinese resident of Slovakia 1), confessed, in a letter, that after receiving a sum of money, he interfered with the operation of the tax software - machines, appropriately changing the reference data and concealing real data!
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The head of the Independent Authority of Public Revenue, George Pitsilis, stated that "each case of tax evasion, regardless of size, has its own characteristics. That is why flexibility is required. For us at the Independent Authority of Public Revenue, tax evasion is an existential priority and will constantly confront us. Regardless of how complex, how small or large, how organized it is."
Source of information: documentonews.gr
