A routine inspection by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) of a single rental vehicle was all it took to unravel an elaborate fraud scheme operated by a car rental company in Western Greece.
Using specialized digital audit tools deployed during on-site inspections, tax authority investigators discovered that the vehicle in question had been declared off-road — yet was actively rented out and in full circulation. This finding prompted auditors to dig deeper, ultimately revealing that a total of 132 vehicles belonging to the same company had been declared as off-road while simultaneously appearing in the Digital Vehicle Customer Registry as actively leased.
AADE: What are the penalties for operating a vehicle declared off-road?
It should be noted that operating a vehicle that has been declared off-road carries a fine of €10,000 per vehicle, on top of road tax obligations and any other applicable charges. For the 132 vehicles found in violation, the total fine imposed amounted to €1.32 million.
The investigation is ongoing and expanding — both into the specific company involved and into other car rental businesses operating across Greece.
