The finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt thinks the fight against tax fraud cannot be measured by the amount of money the Special Tax Inspection (STI) department claims back. The STI must also contact the fraud department, he said on Saturday. This was in response to information that the STI claimed less back and gave out fewer sanctions in the fight against tax fraud during 2015.
“The efficiency of the fight against tax fraud cannot be measured by the amount claimed back. The STI’s job is to tell the fraud department and nip it in the bud”, the minister said.
Johan Van Overtveldt also said that last year, the STI brought down a large scale fraud operation based around the repayment of property deposits. “We are talking about several hundred million euros here. What we will claim back from this has not yet been included in last year’s figures”.
The minister also said that the STI got extra staff and equipment last year. This should soon start having an effect, like the anti-fraud plan the minister presented at the end of 2015.
(Source: Belga)
