Greek Inspectors Worm Out Tourism Industry Tax Evaders

Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has tracked down dozens of tourism enterprises that have failed to declare revenue in a series of inspections at popular tourist destinations.

More specifically, AADE tax authorities carried out checks at hotels and accommodation facilities in the Cyclades, the Dodecanese, Crete and the Ionian islands.

According to AADE inspectors, rooms to let operations, hotels, marine transport and tourism companies failed to declare large sums of taxable income – some over over 1 million euros.

The AADE recently re-launched the consumers rights “Apodixi Please” (“Receipt Please” in Greek) campaign urging travelers to always ask for a receipt with their transactions whether they paid in cash or by credit.

The campaign is aimed at clamping down on tax evasion which is rampant at popular tourist destinations. Indicatively, in June, Greek tax inspectors carried out 7,735 checks on tourism enterprises across Greece, recording an average violation rate of 32 percent.

It should be reminded that “under Greek law, all hotels, restaurants, bars, cafés, car rentals and, in general, almost all suppliers of goods and services (with a few exceptions, such as taxi drivers and kiosks) are obliged to accept debit, credit or prepaid cards”.