Tax authority: 1.32M fine for 132 vehicles

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue imposed a fine of 1.32 million euros on a car rental company in western Greece, according to a press release dated 16 August 2026. A spot check on a single rental vehicle declared as inactive but found in operation triggered the investigation. Through digital auditing applications, 132 vehicles of the same company were discovered declared as inactive, yet simultaneously appearing in the Digital Vehicle Register as rented. The press release does not name the company or report if an appeal has been filed.

The prescribed fine amounts to 10,000 euros per vehicle, which multiplied by 132 yields the total of 1.32 million euros. Beyond this, the company must pay circulation taxes for years vehicles were declared inactive, along with other applicable charges. Inactive status exempts owners from circulation taxes only if vehicles do not operate; use during declared inactivity constitutes a separate violation. In practice, inactive status for rental fleets is lawfully used during winter periods when parts of fleets remain dormant, making fraudulent use difficult to detect without data cross-referencing.

Checks are continuing and expanding to other car rental companies nationwide, the announcement states. The Digital Vehicle Register now enables cross-referencing with inactivity registries without requiring physical inspection at each location. This case exemplifies how a single roadside check can trigger data cross-referencing covering an entire company fleet. The company retains the right to administrative and judicial appeal against the penalty.

AADE has intensified inspections in the tourism sector during summer months, with emphasis on distribution, short-term rentals, and receipt issuance. Earlier in August, it announced 190,000 inspections and 97,000 citizen complaints, as TodayGrid reported. The exact city in western Greece where the company is based is not identified in the release. Such penalties add to obligations arising from potential tax violations, which are examined separately. AADE has not announced how many companies in the sector are under review or the timeframe covered by data cross-referencing. The car rental sector has expanded rapidly in recent years at tourist destinations, with fleets increasing during peak seasons.