Car rental company in Western Greece operating 132 dormant vehicles – fine of €1.32 million
The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AAΔE) imposed a fine of €1.32 million on a car rental company that was operating 132 vehicles registered as dormant. The fraud was uncovered through a routine digital cross-check.
AAΔE identifies 132 dormant vehicles in operation – €1.32 million fine for Western Greece company
A routine on-site inspection of a rental car exposed an entire illegal operation network, according to newsbeast.gr. The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AAΔE) identified a vehicle rental company in Western Greece that was commercially operating 132 cars while simultaneously declaring them as dormant.
The case began when AAΔE inspectors, using specialised digital applications, established that a rental vehicle was circulating normally, whilst appearing as dormant in electronic records. This discrepancy led to an expansion of the inspection to the entire fleet of the company.
From the extensive data cross-check, it emerged that another 131 vehicles were in the same situation: declared as dormant, but simultaneously registered in the Digital Vehicle Customer Register as rented to customers. The digital recording of the rentals ultimately proved to be the very element that revealed the breach.
The Digital Vehicle Customer Register has been compulsory since 1 July 2025 for car and motorcycle rental companies, repair shops, car washes and parking facilities. Through it, companies are required to send activity data to the AAΔE in real time — departures, returns, collection and delivery locations, as well as issued documents. In combination with myDATA and the vehicle register, the system enables automated cross-checks and immediate detection of discrepancies.
The operation of a vehicle declared as dormant is explicitly prohibited by law. For each such vehicle, an administrative fine of €10,000 is imposed, in addition to circulation fees and related charges. In case of repeat offence, the fine is tripled.
For the 132 vehicles of the specific company, the total fine amounted to €1.32 million. The final financial burden is expected to increase with the imposition of circulation fees and other prescribed charges.
The tax inspection of the company continues, with examination of all transactions and issued documents. In parallel, the authorities are extending cross-checks to other car rental companies throughout the country.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)