A wave of tax audits in bars and restaurants in Slovakia produced some interesting findings, when it was discovered that almost half of all establishments inspected are dodging their due taxes.
The inspections concentrated on around 170 bars, night clubs and restaurants in the larger conglomerations in the country, with violations discovered in 83 of them, reports daily Pravda. As could be expected, the tax evasions were mostly as a result of not putting things through the till or by issuing false receipts or none at all.
According to government estimates, the state is losing around EUR 150 million a year in this way. The tax inspectors are now making inspections using “mystery shopping” techniques, i.e. undercover.
Evading taxes! Me thinks 150 million may be a bit conservative. The cheap Polish and Ukraine hooch that is decanted into empty premium brand bottles won’t be declared. The number of bars that don’t issue receipts is on the increase. No doubt “knock off” is regularly sold. Quite a few bars have nice little sidelines that don’t go through the till. The ever changing prices, although common, are part of the “slush fund Slovakia” tradition. I seem to recall that the last government outlawed gambling machines from pubs and gambling rooms were not allowed to sell booze and fags – the local police can’t have had the update yet.
This tax must stem from all those unaccountable beers that appear on the bar tab after an evenings drinking that (despite our best recollections) always seem to appear in certain establishments???????????I wander has anyone else witnessed this phenomenon in Slovakia?
Opps, i nearly forgot! or is it from the habitual short measures that would in deed add up over time?
Of Course Slim . Best one was my when my brother came to visit me and was charged for the same set of drinks, on the spot to pay , ( normally you run up a bill ) but all at differing prices. By the the third round, he asked the waiter, ` so how much does 3 beers and white wine ACTUALLY cost here in Bratislava ?`
They will use this as an excuse to increase duty on alcohol
Wow, I bow to the obvious superior intellect and knowledge on Tax matters here in Slovakia, Richard ……….may I call you a Rchard BTW ?
Such tea leaves these Slowvaks, so no real surprise there then . Not paying your correct taxes is not only illegal, but morally indefensible and reprehensible .
Just think of all those food vouchers and child benefits that have gone unpaid to a Roma family, or those poor, destitute, hard working, miserable, useless school teachers that did not get a pay rise this year ?
Shocking ………:-)
Oh sorry Mr P , was that comment racially biased against Ayran Slowvaks then ??