Over the last seventeen months, the Guardia di Finanza has intensified its activity to combat tax fraud, leading to seizures for almost nine billion euros. Most of these seizures are related to house bonuses. During this period, a total of 8,743 tax evaders were discovered, carrying out business or self-employment activities without declaring anything to the tax authorities.
Tax evasion, illegal workers and tax crimes
A growing phenomenon is that of entrepreneurs who operate on electronic commerce platforms without opening a VAT number or declaring their earnings. This led the Financial Police to propose the termination or cancellation of 3,535 VAT numbers from the Vies database, necessary to operate within the European Union. These economic entities have been identified as being at high risk of fiscal danger.
Over the last seventeen months, the Guardia di Finanza has discovered a significant number of workers without regular contracts or with irregular agreements. From January 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, 59,539 illegal workers were identified, a 32% increase compared to the 45,041 detected in the previous period. A truly alarming figure if we also consider the increase in poverty in Italy.
They were also discovered over a thousand cases of international tax evasion. These cases include hidden establishments, transfer pricing manipulation, fictitious tax residences and illegal holding of capital abroad.
But it doesn’t end here. The balance sheet of the Guardia di Finanza’s activities records almost 20 thousand complaints for tax crimes, with 423 arrests.
Over 1.5 million inspections
In the seventeen months examined, 1.5 million inspections and approximately 110 thousand investigations were carried out. The primary objective was to combat economic-financial crimes and the infiltration of crime into the economy, with particular attention to the correct destination of the resources of the Pnrr (National Recovery and Resilience Plan).
The Financial Police carried out 13,683 interventions to verify that the tax credits, contributions and financing of the Pnrr were actually intended for eligible citizens and businesses. Furthermore, the correct execution of the works and public services financed was verified, for a total of over 9.3 billion euros.
Fraud on public and European funds
The investigations of the Fiamme Gialle have brought to light almost two billion euros in fraud on funds intended to support families and businesses.
The investigations by the Guardia di Finanza also revealed a damage to the treasury of approximately three billion euros. With 19,674 investigations regarding public spending, over 31 thousand people were reported and 6,345 responsible were reported to the Court of Auditors.
Attention was also focused on resources coming from the European Union, in particular on aid for the common agricultural policy and the common fisheries policy. 710 interventions were carried out which brought to light fraud worth almost 110 million euros, with seizures of over 25 million euros and the reporting of 667 perpetrators.
Pensions and citizenship income
The investigation by the Guardia di Finanza revealed numerous cases of social benefits received unduly. Between January 2023 and May 2024, 37,145 interventions were conducted to combat pension and citizen income fraud, including new inclusion and support measures for training and work. Of these, 21,500 concern citizenship income.
