Tax evasion at Pizza Fan and "Mr. Choriátiko": What myDATA failed to detect
The Independent Authority for Public Revenue analyses why the myDATA system failed to identify tax evasion at the Pizza Fan and "Mr. Choriátiko" chains, uncovered by the Hellenic Police.
Tax evasion at Pizza Fan and "Mr. Choriátiko": What myDATA failed to detect
Sources from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) are attempting to answer questions that have arisen from two recent major tax evasion cases—at the catering chain "Mr. Choriátiko" and at the food delivery chain Pizza Fan—which, according to reports from in.gr, were "exposed" by the Hellenic Police and not by the Authority itself.
Why myDATA did not "see" the tax evasion
The central question being raised is whether and why the digital myDATA system was unable to detect the irregular practices. The AADE explains that myDATA records exclusively tax documents that are issued and transmitted to the Authority—receipts, invoices, delivery notes, and order slips.
The system does not have access to the internal ordering or warehouse programmes of businesses, as these are commercial software that do not communicate directly with myDATA.
"In certain orders that were recorded as 'complimentary' no receipt was issued. Consequently, a transaction without a tax document that is settled in cash never reaches myDATA, nor does it appear in the business account's bank movements," sources from the AADE state. Such violations, they add, can only be detected through reports, on-site inspections, or internal documents—such as "double books."
AADE and police: Complementary roles
Regarding the fact that both cases were uncovered by the Hellenic Police, the AADE contends that tax evasion is not always tackled by a single service alone.
"The two services, AADE and ELAS, operate in a complementary manner and have cooperated in a series of cases to counter criminal organisations in smuggling and tax evasion. Police investigation has different means at its disposal than tax inspection, such as the ability to conduct telephone taps and surveillance," sources from the Authority state.
Specifically regarding the case of Ángelos Giannakopoulos, the AADE clarifies that the activities of the network had already been detected and internal investigations had begun months earlier. However, following instructions from the competent prosecutors and within the framework of coordination with ELAS, the AADE awaited the completion of the police investigation before proceeding with its own inspections.
The "string" of shell companies
What AADE sources do not directly answer concerns a significant aspect of the "Mr. Choriátiko" case: companies were "set up" in the names of straw men, closed leaving behind enormous debts, and immediately afterwards at the same branch, with the same products, the same business name, and the same staff, a new company would start with "clean" records.
Market figures question how the AADE accepted this scheme: a business with tens of millions of euros in debt to the state and social security funds would "burst," and in its place a new entity would immediately appear with identical characteristics. According to the information that has been disclosed, nearly 150 tax identification numbers are involved in this "string" of shell companies.
Thousands of inspections, billions in fines
In response to the question of whether the AADE "does not conduct inspections," sources from the Authority cite extensive audit work. In 2025 alone, 31,500 routine inspections were carried out, with taxes and fines totalling 2.8 billion euros. At the same time, 1,165 VAT fraud investigations identified evaded revenue exceeding 457 million euros, whilst 68,400 on-site inspections across the country recorded a violation rate of 34.2 per cent and resulted in 680 suspension of operations.
In the first quarter of 2026, 8,000 inspections were conducted, and in the period 20–26 July alone another 2,252. The plan for the whole of 2026 foresees at least 72,800 inspections.
From the establishment of the Authority in 2017 to the present, 260,000 routine inspections and 791,000 on-site inspections have been carried out, with total tax and fine assessments amounting to 22.3 billion euros. In 10,400 special VAT fraud investigations, evaded revenue worth 4.3 billion euros was identified.
Questions over internal leaks
However, from the information that has been disclosed regarding the two cases, it emerges that officials from economic services provided information to those involved—a point that AADE sources do not address in their responses.
Source: in.gr