AADE tightens the noose: Full digital scan of bank accounts and e-wallets

Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is entering a new phase of digital enforcement, dramatically expanding the BANCAPP system, which now goes beyond domestic banks to include foreign bank branches and electronic money institutions. The result? Taxpayers with unexplained deposits have nowhere to hide – the state can see it all.

“With the upgraded BANCAPP, we can see every euro that moves,” an AADE official told SBCTV. “If someone declares an income of €10,000 but holds €300,000 in deposits, the system flags it instantly.” Already, more than 2,000 accounts are under the microscope, and unjustified accumulation is taxed at 33% as business income.

How BANCAPP Works

The system connects directly to the ELENXIS Central System, automatically collecting structured data from banks, investment accounts, and e-wallets. This allows fast, automated audits for every tax ID (AFM). As one insider explains: “We’re not talking about regular audits anymore – this is a full financial body scan. AADE has become a real data hub.”

Backstage and Tensions

This expansion hasn’t come without friction. Banks, while required to integrate fully, demand guarantees for privacy and data use. Meanwhile, the Financial Police, the Economic Prosecutor, and the Anti-Money Laundering Authority now have access to everything that moves, creating both unprecedented enforcement power and political debate over the limits of state oversight.

“People used to think they could hide money in e-wallets or foreign accounts,” says a Finance Ministry insider. “Now, there’s nowhere to hide. Transactions are monitored almost in real time.”

Political and Economic Message

The move sends a clear signal: tax evasion will not be tolerated, and the state is investing heavily in the digital power of its auditing apparatus. In a period where digital payments, POS systems, and e-wallets multiply financial flows, AADE is attempting to restore confidence in tax fairness.

At the same time, the measure carries political weight: it demonstrates that the government is closing loopholes for privileged actors while potentially clashing with sectors that see this as an encroachment on business freedom.

AADE is turning into a digital watchdog of the economy. BANCAPP’s capabilities are immense, but the tension between transparency, privacy, and political cost remains. In practice, anyone who thought they were “invisible” is now digitally exposed.

Sources: AADE 2026 announcements, statements by Georgios Pitsilis, SBCTV analysis, insider sources from the tax administration.