The Anti-Fraud General Direction within Romania’s Tax Agency ANAF has found that 44 companies which were importing clothes damaged the state budget by EUR 17 million.

The amount represents the VAT and the tax on profit, which the companies avoided paying.  They imported clothing items, footwear, household, and stationery from Turkey and China.

The tax inspectors initiated the operation called Hermes in October last year. They found firms that were registered on the names of some poor people who didn’t even know what these firms were doing.

The firms imported over 2,300 tons of items between November and December 2015, which were worth EUR 38.7 million without VAT. They sold the goods at prices that were 20-30 times higher than the acquisition prices.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Antifrauda.ro)