In 2023, as many as 1,310 passengers who flew with air taxis passing through Treviso airport did not pay the tax of at least €100, as emerged from checks by the Guardia di Finanza at Scalo Canova.
Tax evasion in air taxi flights
These checks concerned 395 air taxi flights operated by 91 foreign companies, mainly European, but also coming from Albania, Canada, Eastern European countries, the United States and Switzerland. The investigation highlighted the “ghost passengers” through a comparison between the declarations filed by the carriers and the payments made to the treasury.
The airlines involved in tax evasion had offered competitive prices to entrepreneurs and tourists, guaranteeing them greater comfort and reduced boarding times. However, they will now have to pay a fine equal to 30% of the evaded sums, in addition to the repayment of the same. This phenomenon has seen a significant increase compared to the past. In fact, from 2017 to 2022, 2,446 ghost passengers were discovered, with an annual average of 500, distributed across 718 air taxi flights.
Greater controls and sanctions
The Financial Police has intensified checks on air taxis. It has, in fact, identified an ever-increasing number of passengers and airlines trying to evade paying taxes. Their action aims to combat these illegal practices and ensure fair competition between airlines.
Tax evasion in the private aviation sector represents a complex challenge, but audit findings demonstrate the effectiveness of measures taken to identify and punish offenders. The Guardia di Finanza will continue to carefully monitor the sector to prevent further cases of evasion, thus protecting the fiscal interests of the State and promoting greater transparency in air transport.
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