Frankfurt investigators have stopped a sales tax carousel in which luxury cars have been pushed back and forth between several EU countries. According to the public prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt, more than one million euros was frozen on an account of Commerzbank and was also retained after the decision of the district court. The money now flows completely to the state. The bank and the tax office were involved in the investigations.
According to the previous investigations, the alleged perpetrators have taken advantage of the fact that the tax offices in the meantime will reimburse VAT in cross -border business. In the specific case, there were two luxury cars of the brands Rolls Royce and Mercedes-Benz at a alleged value of around 500,000 euros, for which fictitious transfers were made.
Rapid purchases and sales veiled that no tax has yet been paid. The perpetrators indicate that the tax authority only later notices that the company subject to VAT is only a mailbox company and the managing director is a straw man that is setting up with the money. The investigation continues.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 250414-930-438464/1
