Tax Commissioner investigates possible offences from 'Mafia State' report
The Authority Against Corruption is submitting its report on the 'Mafia State' to the Tax Commissioner to examine possible tax violations arising from its findings.
Tax Commissioner investigates possible offences from 'Mafia State' report
The findings of the Independent Authority Against Corruption on the 'Mafia State' will be sent for examination to the Tax Commissioner, in addition to the Legal Service, with the aim of investigating possible tax violations.
This referral represents the first implementation of a recent legislative amendment that was voted unanimously by Parliament, on the initiative of Member of Parliament Irini Charalampidou, which established the link between the Authority Against Corruption and the tax authorities.
A significant advantage for the Commissioner is that tax inspections can look back as far as twelve years prior to the start of the investigation. Nevertheless, some of the cases identified in the report may exceed this time limit.
The scope of the Commissioner's investigation is not limited to within the borders of Cyprus. It can extend overseas, examining the activities and bank accounts of the persons involved, in order to establish all aspects of the cases.
Cypriot legislation provides for criminal sanctions for various tax violations. These include the deliberate or wilful submission of inaccurate statements, the filing of false particulars for claiming deductions or exemptions, the presentation of incorrect accounts, as well as the provision of misleading information or documents to the tax authorities. Furthermore, the refusal to provide information requested by the Tax Department also constitutes an offence.
Source: Politis
Source: Politis