Tax inspectors stake out social media

Tax authorities are now looking at social media and the internet to identify and track tax evaders.

Indicatively, a small crack team of seven young auditors from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) are searching daily for electronic traces of potential tax evaders, who post financial activity and wealth on Facebook and other social networks, but not on their tax returns. 

The social media posts of influencers and celebrities do not escape the attention of auditors. Car purchases, a new house, a wedding ring, nightclub appearances are now all under scrutiny.

AADE even monitors whose hair or makeup was done by professionals.

In fact, tax authorities can now, in no time, find all the financial and asset details of all those being audited, and through the business center can assist live auditors with anything they need. 

A case in point was the recent identification of possible large-scale tax evasion at a recent wedding, where almost everyone involved – from the hairdresser who styled the bride’s hair to the business that organized the reception, is alleged to have concealed income.

The auditors visited all those under audit at the same time, while another support team was on hand from the AADE’s operations center, monitoring the audit in real time, receiving data, cross-checking it and giving directions. 

Previously, taxpayers would be summoned for an explanation before an audit would start.

Now the audit is largely advanced, long before the auditee receives the surprise visit of the inspectors.

In this case, a detailed file was created for each person involved with all the information allowing AADE to deal with those who, in one way or another, were involved in what was dubbed the “wedding of the year.”

Now the auditors can draw data about people under audit from banks on deposits and remittances, the capital market, from state-controlled companies (DEKO) to ascertain the amount of bills paid, from mobile phone companies (also bills), bonds they may hold, and shares etc.

Kathimerini understands that the auditees have been invited by the AADE to give their views. Many of the professionals stated that everything had been done free of charge – from the singer to the wedding dress, wreaths etc.

However, in this case too, the necessary documents were not available even for the donation.