WARSAW: Attempts to cheat the authorities out of more than PLN 1.5 bln (EUR 350 mln) have been thwarted since 1 January by the Polish Finance Ministry’s tax inspection unit, officials have said. This 70 percent year on year increase follows stepped up efforts to crack down on tax fraud by Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which came to power after winning elections exactly a year ago. The PiS government has launched a crackdown on tax cheats as one way of financing its spending promises.
According to the finance ministry, there have been “slightly more” inspections carried out compared to last year, but inspections have been more efficient. “We’ve given our officers clear tasks, to work where there have been brazen attempts to cheat the state, where there are organized criminal groups which have not yet felt the Treasury breathing down their necks,” said the General Inspector of Treasury Control, Wiesław Jasiński.
In fraudulent value added tax (VAT) rebate claims alone inspectors were able to save more than PLN 500 mln (EUR 115 mln) this year, up more than 335 percent on the same period last year. “[Tax inspectors are] identifying tax fraud attempts more quickly, so we are able to block VAT returns more efficiently,” Jasiński said.
