NAFA launches an operation to verify undeclared income from e-commerce operations

The National Agency for Fiscal Administration, through the General Directorate for Fiscal Antifraud, launched the operation “Mercury”, an action to verify the undeclared revenues obtained from untaxed e-commerce, following the extension of this type of trade and the very large number of complaints received: in particular for irregularities regarding the impossibility to benefit from the guarantee in the absence of tax documents, it is shown in a press release of the institution.

The preliminary analysis, according to the statement, showed that with the exponential growth of online sales through reputable platforms and high standards, trade in counterfeit goods or phantom companies has intensified, especially through individuals or websites screen, which operates for short periods.

“Moreover, the diversification of large operators, by launching marketplaces, represented an opportunity for companies or individuals who marketed products without taxing revenues or who sold counterfeit products,” according to NAFA.

In the first stage, the anti-fraud inspectors analyzed over two million online sales of goods delivered by courier and began checking more than 500 customers of express courier companies with the highest volume of deliveries with “cash on delivery” or bank accounts.

Monitoring and analysis of trade in large wholesale centers, EU purchases and non-EU imports with online sales and deliveries with cash on delivery or online payment made by express couriers highlighted types of action, mainly by individuals who buy products at undervalued prices, which they sell in retail online and collect from buyers the value, without payment of tax obligations.

“The suppliers of these natural persons purchase intra-community or import the goods through their own or intermediary companies, which are then” liquidated “after the completion of customs clearance formalities”, informs NAFA.

NAFA will initiate, in the next period, control actions in order to recover the taxes and duties due, where appropriate, through fiscal measures and procedures.

NAFA recommends to all traders and appeals to individuals or legal entities, which have made sales by courier delivery, to ensure that they have paid all tax obligations due to the state budget.

Also, in order to avoid legal sanctions and impositions, those who failed to declare their income can do so in the next period, through voluntary compliance, and thus will be able to benefit from all applicable tax facilities to become legal, which which will also lead to the avoidance of the calculation of penalties.

The “Mercury” operation will continue at an accelerated pace and will be expanded to ensure the taxation of revenues from online sales of goods and services.