The Greek tax authorities have widened their summer inspection drive, focusing on tourist businesses across the country’s islands and coastal areas.
According to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, known by its Greek acronym AADE, its officers are conducting extensive targeted checks on restaurants, beach bars, hotels, short term rentals and car rental companies. Their focus is on businesses that carry a higher statistical risk of tax evasion during the summer months but also businesses that have been flagged by consumers for failing to issue receipts.
Businesses targeted by AADE are selected through a risk analysis system that draws on digital transaction data, each company’s tax history and complaints submitted by the public. One of the main tools feeding that analysis is Appodixi, a dedicated mobile app that lets consumers check the receipts they receive and report businesses that fail to issue one.
So far this year, 225,551 complaints have been logged through Appodixi, of which 102,466 were submitted by named, identifiable users rather than anonymously.
Most of these complaints involve receipts that are fake or fictitious, or receipts that are issued to the customer but never transmitted to AADE’s systems. Authorities say that pattern often points to tampering with a business’s cash register software or its connection to point of sale, or POS, terminals, a method some businesses use to under report sales and reduce their reported tax liability.
Drones over the beaches
AADE has also carried out more than 1,500 site inspections at over 300 beaches and 450 coastal businesses, relying on drone surveillance and the digital platform called MyCoast, which allows citizens to file reports and complaints about how coastal areas are being used.
In Greece, beaches and the shorelines have become a focal point of controversy over the last few years, as they are increasingly being used for commercial reasons, despite being public land by law. Businesses such as beach bars, concession stands and hotels can only place sunbeds, umbrellas or other structures on them under a formal concession agreement with the state. Operating without one, or exceeding the boundaries of an agreement already granted, is a common source of complaints during the tourist season.
This year the regions generating the highest number of complaints are Chalkidiki, East Attica, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and Kavala.
The most common violations found so far include unauthorized use of public beach or shoreline space without a concession contract, exceeding the area covered by an existing concession, blocking free public access to the beach and failing to display the signage required by law to show where a concession area begins and ends.
Source: OT.gr
