Car garages are highlighted tax evasion champions in Greece, with 6 out of 10 showing delinquent behavior. According to data from AADE, out of the 290,000 checks carried out in 2025 in high risk companies, taxes and fines of 3.1 billion euros were charged. The average rate of delinquency was 29.7%, increased by 2.5 percentage points over 2024. Following are land transport with 58.1%, rental services with 56.2% and health services with 54%. The audit authorities imposed a suspension of operation on 680 professional facilities.
Analyticalally:
Champions in tax evasion are highlighted car crews, as 6 out of 10 show delinquent behavior.
It is revealed that of the 290,000 checks carried out in 2025 in high risk enterprises, charging taxes and fines totalling EUR 3.1 billion.
In 2025 the average rate of delinquency was set at 29.7%, increased by at least 2.5 percentage points compared to 2024 when it had reached 27.1%.
Tax evasion
At the top of the ranking is wholesale and retail trade in the repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles with 61%, followed by land transport and transport via pipelines with 58.1%, rental and rental activities with 56.2%, human health services with 54% and other personal services with 50.3%.
Plant and animal production and related activities with 40.8%, wholesale trade with 33.9%, catering services with 32.4%, accommodation with 31.6%, retail trade with 29.3%, food industry with 28.8% and other general sectors with 19.1%.
The audit authorities suspended the operation of 680 professional establishments and imposed a special financial penalty on 293 firms
A total of 37,493, of which 11,695 were held within and 25,798 away, with the rates of delinquency being set at 25,31% and 31,77% respectively.
Thessaloniki recorded the highest number of controls, while the Region of Patras and Piraeus showed the highest rates of delinquency, especially in out-of-country controls (36.27% and 34.93% respectively).
The highest rates were found in Western Greece (39.9% in 3,246 controls), Peloponnese (39.6% in 3.680 controls) and Thessaly (38.2% in 2,976 controls). Instead, the lowest rate was recorded in Western Macedonia (24.9% in 1,339 controls).
In terms of division by industry, 22,020 controls were carried out in focus enterprises and 11,149 in retail trade (excluding vehicles), with an average delinquency of 32.4% and 29,3% respectively.
The suspension
The audit authorities went on to suspend the operation of 680 professional establishments and imposed a special financial penalty on 293 companies.
The largest percentage was recorded in the focus industry (40.44%), followed by plant and animal production (33.68%) and retail trade (9%), while 16% concern other sectors.
The main priorities of some on-the-spot checks and surveys in the previous year focused on:
- Circuits for issuing and receiving virtual tax data
- Tourism, accommodation and short term leases
- Technical professions and the construction industry
- Electronic commerce and undeclared online sales
- Focus operations and electronic order systems
- Liquid fuel stations
- Reservation platforms
- Card payments
- Use falsified software to issue tax data
- Wholesale (food, medicine, technology, metals, etc.)
- Branches with high contribution to VAT gap
- Social media to identify undeclared incomes
- Controls on property increases
Source: OT
