[Shutterstock]
Sweeping inspections by tax authorities at many of the most popular nightclubs in Athens and Thessaloniki since January have determined that tax evasion at such venues remains rampant.
The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) combined high-tech remote monitoring with on-site inspections to conduct regular checks on 21 of the highest-earning clubs in both cities.
Launched on January 11 and repeated every Saturday for weeks, the operation – dubbed “Saturday Night Fever” – found that these venues systematically avoided issuing receipts. In the first week, receipts totaled approximately €821,000 but exceeded €1 million on subsequent Saturdays as inspections continued.
Receipts issued to customers in the first week of inspections at these clubs totaled approximately €821,000 but began to increase once the inspections had commenced, exceeding €1 million on subsequent Saturdays as inspections continued.
The tax authority’s use of digital tools and advanced data analysis exposed major revenue discrepancies. These technologies enabled tax inspectors to monitor venues in real time, comparing declared revenues with actual revenues.
Booking platforms, social media posts, and Google Maps data were among the sources of information resorted to by AADE inspectors. Data obtained from these sources helped inspectors estimate attendance and detect irregularities. [AMNA]