Sanctions toughened for fiscal violations

The amendments to the Fiscal Code which entered into effect on January 1 toughen punishments for fiscal violations and aim to make taxpayers more disciplined, Nicolae Platon, the head of the Fiscal Inspectorate, told a news conference on Thursday, Info-Prim Neo reports. The fine for obstructing fiscal inspectors' work rose from 3,000 lei to 10,000 lei. A fine of 10,000 lei will also be imposed on those who fail to appear before the Inspectorate when summoned. Operating without a fiscal control machine is punishable by a 10,000 lei fine; for a second such violation the fine rises to 25,000 lei, and to 50,000 lei for every next instance. Earlier the fines were 5,000 and 18,000 lei. Operating without accounting records is punishable by 50,000 lei, as opposed to 30,000 lei earlier. Fines for the failure to apply excise stamps of for using fake excise stamps constitute 50,000 lei for the first violation, and 100,000 lei and 250,000 lei for the second and each next instance, respectively. Fines for the failure to present copies of invoices or for a delayed submission have doubled to 3,600 lei per invoice, but no more than 108,000 lei in total. Nicolae Platon further revealed that an electronic register of fiscal invoices will be introduced on July 1 to monitor operations larger that 100,000 lei. Concerning the indirect methods of assessing individual incomes, Platon said these will be introduced in 2013. Platon also said that the number of inspections will reduce in order to decrease pressure on businesses.