RIMINI – Two companies from the Republic of San Marino appear in the international network identified by the Rimini Customs and Monopolies Agency as part of an investigation into alleged tax fraud in the trade of alcohol and beer. The investigation led to a preventive seizure of over 7 million euros, ordered by the judicial authority and carried out with the collaboration of the Economic-Financial Police Unit of the Guardia di Finanza of Rimini.
At the center of the investigations is a Rimini company which, according to the reconstruction of the investigators, participated in a system of VAT evasion and undue requests for excise duty refunds. The network would include, in addition to the company and the parent holding company, 12 Italian companies, nine companies based in Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Romania and two San Marino companies.
The connection with San Marino would concern some sales that the Rimini company declared to have made to companies in the Titano and shell companies in the European Union. According to the investigative hypothesis, invoices for non-existent operations and falsified transport documents would have been used to simulate sales abroad and generate VAT credits that were not due.
The goods would have been purchased at prices lower than market prices through paper mill companies and operators who failed to comply with tax obligations, and then passed through various Italian and European intermediaries before arriving at the Rimini company.
Among the elements that attracted the attention of the investigators were the sales below the purchase cost, the reduced margins and the constant losses recorded by the company, circumstances considered incompatible with normal commercial management.
The disputed VAT credits would have been transferred to the controlling holding company and used in tax returns. The same company would also have financially supported the Rimini company through substantial liquidity transfers.
A further line of investigation concerns excise duty refunds. The company’s legal representative allegedly submitted requests relating to products declared as sold abroad, using disputed invoices and statements deemed false by investigators. The goods indicated in the documents, according to the accusation, would have been of illicit origin and would not have paid the tax due.
The seizure concerned tax credits, availability in current accounts, other economic resources and movable and immovable assets attributable to the suspects.
