AADE: “Explosion” of named complaints about fake receipts and major tax evasion

Citizens are increasingly willing to file named complaints about tax evasion cases they encounter. Recent data from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) reveals a significant rise in named complaints about fake receipts through the “Appodixi” app. A total of 185,573 complaints have been submitted, of which 85,146 are named. This indicates that more citizens are stepping out of anonymity and taking an active role in fighting tax evasion.

The “Appodixi” app, which allows citizens to verify the authenticity of receipts and report fake ones directly to AADE, is becoming an essential tool in combating tax evasion.

The complaints mainly involve receipts that were either not electronically submitted to AADE, rendering them essentially non-existent, or issued via fake tax mechanisms. These complaints have led to the detection of thousands of tax evasion cases through cross-checks from various sectors, such as hospitality, and from networks using specialized software to “erase” business revenues with the click of a button.

Citizens filing named complaints have a financial incentive. If their complaint leads to a tax audit and a fine is imposed, they are entitled to a financial reward, amounting to ten times the value of the transaction. This reward cannot be less than €100 nor exceed €3,000. If the complaint involves multiple transactions from the same business, the reward is calculated based on the highest value receipt.

The “Citizen Complaints” platform is also experiencing an emergence. This platform allows for the submission of anonymous or named complaints by filling in specific fields to ensure the complaint can be acted upon. Additionally, there is the option to attach electronic files as evidence.

The platform was created to help uncover cases of tax evasion, smuggling, or corruption and to strengthen the rule of law for citizens, businesses, and services. The response has been significant, as shown by the latest data:

• Corruption (anonymous): 2,163 complaints
• Corruption (named): 633 complaints
• Customs (anonymous): 307 complaints
• Customs (named): 26 complaints
• Tax (anonymous): 21,217 complaints
• Tax (named): 3,105 complaints

However, AADE warns that “both the content of the complaint and your personal information (name, address, contact details, etc.) are considered data that may, under certain conditions, be disclosed to the accused (Article 15 GDPR, Article 33 Law 4624/19, Article 5 Law 2690/99, Decision No. 73/2010 of the Data Protection Authority).”