In an organized operation carried out simultaneously in three ports of Santorini, the auditors of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue identified and detected on-the-spot tax evasion by vessels that carry out hundreds of daily cruises every day, transporting thousands of tourists to the Caldera.

ΙΝFORMATION

The auditors used information and data indicating that some tourist vessels:

• Hide revenues in various ways, such as incorrect tax returns or circumvention of the full charter, and therefore do not pay a significant amount of VAT to the Greek State
• when they are informed in any way that a tax audit is being carried out at the port of Vlychada, they avoid docking and disembarking passengers at that port, changing the course of their vessels and resorting to adjacent, more concealed and less well-known piers in order to avoid being subjected to the tax audit.

On Thursday, August 22, 2024, after sunset, the inspectors raided the port, spreading out on each pier, surprising the first incoming tourist boats, which were at that time returning full of tourists from their day cruise.

Multiple on-the-spot tax inspections were carried out and infringements were found, resulting in the imposition of VAT fines and special financial penalties.

The following afternoon, 23, 2024, half of the auditors returned to Blychada, continuing the audit. Some vessels, as they were entering in turn to disembark passengers, were informed that ADSE teams were again conducting inspections at the same port and changed course, approaching adjacent harbours and piers in order to avoid the tax inspection.

There, however, the other half of the auditors were waiting for them, taking them by surprise and checking them, finding tax violations there as well and proceeding to impose VAT fines and special financial penalties.

FINDINGS

In total, 14 vessels were checked and 8 were found to have committed infringements. For two days alone, it was found that they had concealed a turnover of €10,100 plus €2,420 VAT. In addition to the fines of €20,000 for these two days alone, these businesses are being scrutinised in order to establish the total amount of tax evasion.