- The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is investigating an alleged EUR 20 million VAT fraud scheme involving sales of wireless earbuds, including AirPods.
- Five suspected organizers were arrested in Czechia, and authorities seized assets and froze bank accounts in Czechia, Germany, and Lithuania.
- The scheme reportedly ran from at least 2019 to 2023 and exploited EU cross-border VAT rules for intra-EU supplies.
- Investigators say shell companies and fake supply chains across Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, and Slovakia were used to disguise artificial transactions.
- The alleged fraud allowed suspects to claim VAT refunds or deductions while VAT was not properly declared or paid in Germany.
Source: vatabout.com
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.
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