Massive tax fraud, fake receipts for cash payments: tax evasion amounting to 20 million euros

Officers from the Sassari Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza, under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, have concluded an investigation that led to the dismantling of a sophisticated tax fraud scheme involving seven commercial companies that operated seven large retail outlets specialising in the sale of household goods, household goods and clothing, all located in the city of Sassari and run by Chinese nationals.

The tax inspectors noticed a systematic and suspicious anomaly in the way receipts were issued, depending on the payment method chosen by customers. Technical investigations revealed that, for purchases paid for using traceable electronic payment methods such as credit or debit cards, the shops issued a standard tax receipt bearing the required ‘RT’ (for ‘electronic cash register’), whilst, in the case of cash payments, staff issued a simple administrative document. The latter was, in terms of its layout, entirely identical to a legitimate tax receipt but lacked the ministerial logo. This ploy served a dual purpose. The first was to avoid arousing the customer’s suspicion. The second was to prevent the recording and subsequent electronic transmission of payment data to the tax authorities, thereby evading tax on substantial revenues.

The findings of the investigation into the hidden accounts revealed that income totalling more than 20 million euros had not been declared.

At the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the investigating judge at the Court of Sassari has ordered a preventive seizure with a view to the confiscation – including by way of equivalent value – of assets attributable to the companies and their respective legal representatives. The order covered current accounts, properties, land, motor vehicles and company shares with a total value of over 2 million euros.