Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is rolling out one of the largest tax enforcement operations of recent years ahead of the Holy Spirit long weekend, targeting tax evasion in major tourism hotspots across the country.
More than 50,000 inspections are scheduled nationwide, with authorities focusing heavily on islands, beach destinations and high-traffic tourist areas where undeclared transactions traditionally surge during the summer season.
The operation combines drones, AI-powered risk analysis, live digital monitoring systems and undercover inspections, signaling a major escalation in the government’s effort to clamp down on Greece’s shadow tourism economy.
Tourism sector under intense scrutiny
AADE’s summer enforcement campaign goes far beyond routine tax checks. Officials describe it as a fully digitized real-time surveillance operation designed to identify undeclared income, VAT fraud and businesses operating outside tax compliance rules.
According to officials, inspection targets are selected through sophisticated Artificial Intelligence risk-analysis modelsthat cross-check:
- POS transaction data,
- VAT performance by sector,
- turnover comparisons,
- myDATA platform records,
- food delivery and booking platform activity,
- previous violation history.
Authorities are also relying heavily on a growing “blacklist” of repeat offenders identified during past tourism seasons.
The primary goal is to increase tax compliance in sectors where undeclared cash transactions remain widespread during peak travel months.
Restaurants, beach bars and rentals targeted
The inspections will mainly focus on sectors considered high-risk for tax violations, including:
- restaurants and tavernas,
- beach bars and cafés,
- nightlife venues,
- car and scooter rental businesses,
- hotels and short-term rentals,
- daily cruise operators,
- paid parking facilities,
- wellness and beauty businesses.
Greek islands remain the top priority, as tax authorities estimate that nearly 40% of businesses in certain tourist regions operate within a “grey zone” of tax compliance.
Destinations such as Mykonos, Santorini, Paros, Rhodes and Corfu are expected to face intensified monitoring throughout the holiday period.
Drones and undercover “tourists”
One of the most advanced elements of this year’s operation is the use of technology-driven field coordination.
Inspectors equipped with the digital application ELEGXOSlive can instantly access a business’s tax profile, record violations electronically and transmit findings directly to AADE’s central operations room in real time.
Meanwhile, drones will provide aerial surveillance over crowded tourism zones, offering live footage to tax enforcement teams before raids are conducted.
Authorities are also deploying undercover inspectors posing as tourists in restaurants, bars and shops to verify whether:
- receipts are properly issued,
- POS terminals are connected to cash registers,
- transactions are correctly reported to the tax system.
Heavy fines and business shutdowns
Businesses caught violating tax regulations face severe penalties.
Under current legislation, AADE can impose:
- 48-hour closures for failure to issue receipts exceeding legal thresholds,
- 96-hour shutdowns for repeat violations,
- 10-day closures for systematic tax offenses within a two-year period.
Additional sanctions apply to businesses attempting to break official seals or reopen illegally after suspension orders.
A major test for Greece’s tourism economy
The crackdown comes at a crucial moment for the Greek economy, as tourism revenues remain one of the country’s strongest growth drivers.
With another record-breaking summer season expected, the government is under pressure to maximize public revenues and limit tax leakage from the tourism sector.
The message from Greek tax authorities is increasingly clear:
The era of loosely monitored summer cash economies is ending, as digital surveillance and real-time enforcement become central pillars of Greece’s new tax collection strategy.
Πηγή: pagenews.gr