Audits for tax evasion by German companies
10.4.2015
Question for written answer E-005753-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL)
According to press disclosures, German car companies (BMW, Mercedes) have systematically evaded tax in Greece by implementing price undercutting for imported luxury cars, thus avoiding paying the corresponding taxes, including VAT, which is a source of revenue for the EU. Based on the relevant investigations of tax authorities, for two German companies only, the fines are estimated at EUR 500 million. In my Question Ε-6613/2014 with regard to a possible involvement of OLAF in the investigation of the above scandal, the Commission replied that ‘at present OLAF does not have sufficient specific investigative tools (e.g. access to bank accounts extracts) to deal effectively with investigations into VAT fraud’.
Will the Commission say:
- — Has it investigated whether there is unfair competition in Greece in the car import market because of such unlawful practices by German or other car industries?
- — Will it, in line with its powers, make specific recommendations to Germany in order to establish an institutional and fiscal framework to prevent German multinational companies from their usual unlawful business activities?
- — Does it finally have ‘sufficient specific investigate tools to deal effectively with investigations into VAT fraud?’