Scandal in the luxury car trade: Tax fraud in the millions revealed!

Scandal in the luxury car trade: Tax fraud in the millions revealed!

In a large -scale tax fraud in the luxury car trade, the tax investigation in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance has uncovered a system of tax evasion that extended all over Austria. The alleged damage amounts to around one million euros, such as meinzirk.at reported. The focus of the investigation was on a company that acted in the form of a GmbH and is said to have evaded systematically.

The investigation that extended over several years led to extensive searches at seven different locations in Vienna and Upper Austria. Not only were numerous documents and data carriers ensured, but also 34 bank accounts were opened to five credit institutions. In order to determine the full extent of the backgrounds, extensive witnesses and national and international search for information were initiated. The main suspects manipulated the vehicle supply chains of Italian and German luxury cars through the integration of close people to camouflage the fraud Federal Ministry of Finance.

Complex fraud system

The system not only included fake documents, but also manipulated accounting. Input invoices have been changed in order to pretend higher purchase prices and additional expenses. At the same time, the output invoices were fake to indicate lower proceeds. The income from the luxury car trade was moved to the private assets of the accused without the levies due - such as sales tax, corporation tax and capital gains tax.

Another interesting aspect of the case is the fact that several luxury vehicles have been declared as an alleged demonstration car. Through this audacity, the perpetrators tried to be exempt from the standard consumption levy and at the same time to deduct input tax. In reality, however, the vehicles were used as personal fixed assets, as from OE24 reported.

Better control in the industry required

Systematic tax evasion is not only an issue in the luxury car trade. In order to prevent similar incidents, the need for a stricter procedure against tax fraud in other industries is also pointed out in the course of ongoing investigations. Recently there were searches at taxi companies in Vienna, which are suspected of having evaded large sums of taxes. Valuable items and cash were ensured, which illustrates the dimension of the problem.

Christian Ackerler, CEO of the Functioning Office, emphasizes the central importance of combating tax and tax fraud for fairness and the rule of law in the economy. The determination of these illegal practices sends a strong signal to everyone who wants to bring the Austrian taxpayer for his money. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer also underlines the importance of these measures and their effects on the integers.