Tax office clamps down on HUF 430m retail tax fraud

MTI – The national tax office (NAV) has clamped down on a retail ring involving large-scale tax fraud.

The case involves 13 suspects and one person is already in pre-trial custody, NAV told MTI in a statement on Wednesday.

The supermarket chain based in Pecs, southwest Hungary, distributed cleaning products, home appliances, sweets and coffee, but did not pay value added tax (VAT) on its sales.

The suspects created an invoice ring, under which invoices were issued by companies which did not conduct any real business and which displaced the price with VAT included. The invoices appeared as if VAT had been paid on the products bought abroad, NAV said. The damage caused to the state is estimated at 430 million forints (EUR 1.4m).

The culprits face a prison sentence of 2-8 years, if found guilty of tax fraud.