Swiss POS terminals on Myconos
Inspectors leading tax evasion crackdown on holiday island temporarily close businesses, seize takings
A large-scale operation aimed at curbing tax evasion on the island of Myconos has led to the confiscation of foreign-registered card terminals in use in some stores, prompting an investigation into the legality of the businesses in question.
Inspectors found two Swiss-registered point-of-sale (POS) terminals in the Louis Vuitton store in the center of Myconos Town, according to a source at the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (IAPR). Another was discovered at the prominent fashion house’s shop in the Nammos Village shopping center, whose Spanish employees were found to have Spanish social insurance. The two POS terminals were seized while the legality of the foreign nationals’ insurance status was being investigated. (Under European law, European Union citizens can work in another EU member-state while still insured in their country of origin as long as they have an A1/certificate of coverage.)
Auditors also ordered the 48hour closure of the Kalua beach barrestaurant on the island’s Paraga beach after they found that it had failed to issue sales receipts to the tune of 3,500 euros, while the merchandise shop on the same premises had no sales invoices to show.
In addition, officials confiscated 19,000 euros in daily takings from Katrin’s, a well-known restaurant in the center of Myconos Town, after they discovered it owed 380,000 euros to the tax office.
A 48-hour closure order was also imposed on a large laundry business on the island when it was found not to have issued receipts for 13,000 euros’ worth of business.
Code-named “Trident,” the crackdown on tax evasion on Myconos involves 56 inspectors, whose checks extend to all types of businesses on the island, from hotels and providers of water sports activities and beach loungers to nightclubs and tour operators.
The four-day operation was launched on Sunday at the initiative of the IAPR and with the assistance of the financial police. Inspectors are expected to shift their attention to the islands of Paros, Santorini and Rhodes in the coming days.