Newsflash from Thursday, 9 October 2025:
Crete’s bustling tourism industry is once again under the microscope after Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) uncovered widespread tax evasion across the island during the summer of 2025.
According to a recent report, one restaurant in Heraklion was found with more than 18,500 receipts—worth over €275,000—that were never submitted to the national electronic tax platform. The establishment received a hefty fine and a four-day shutdown, serving as a striking example of the scale of the problem.
From May to September 2025, AADE inspectors conducted extensive checks across the country, revealing that nearly half of all audited tourist businesses had committed some form of tax violation. The Crete region ranked among the top five in Greece for non-compliance, alongside Western Greece, Central Greece, the Peloponnese, and the South Aegean.
Key Findings:
– Heraklion: Restaurant concealed 18,515 receipts worth €275,000.
– Paros: Carpentry business failed to report seven high-value transactions totaling €111,000.
– Gytheio: Supermarket hid over 5,000 documents worth €101,000.
– Santorini & Mykonos: Popular beach bars and shops failed to issue receipts exceeding €100,000 in value.
– Crete (Lassithi & Chania): Tax evasion rates surpassed 42%, significantly higher than the national average.
Beyond restaurants and bars, authorities also targeted umbrella and sunbed rental services, beauty salons, and hair studios, uncovering undeclared transactions totaling tens of thousands of euros.
AADE’s specialized operations—such as the aptly named “Cruise Patrol”—extended to tourist cruises in Santorini, Kos, and other islands, identifying numerous unreported sales.
A Persistent Challenge
Despite the rollout of digital tools like the e-send platform, which connects cash registers and POS systems directly to the tax network, many businesses continue to bypass reporting requirements. The total value of fines this summer exceeded €2.5 million, with over 300 cases leading to temporary business closures.
AADE officials have announced that targeted inspections will continue into the winter season, focusing on ensuring full digital integration of all businesses into the national tax system.
Source: Daynight.gr
