Greek tavern owner fires in the air to scare taxation officers

September 2017

Athens - A tavern owner in Volos, Central Greece, fired shotgun shots in the air on Thursday, in order to scare away three tax auditors who fined him 500 euros for a series of tax violations.

The three officials entered the tavern premises on Thursday afternoon to audit the owner. They found that there were several tax law violations and fined the owner 500 euros, but did not proceed with shutting down the business for 48 hours, as a new bill dictates.

However, as the three tax auditors were leaving the premises, the tavern owner followed them with a shotgun and threatened them by shooting in the air, protesting the fine imposition.

Police were notified immediately and arrested the tavern owner for illegal firearm possession.

Deputy Finance Minister Katerina Papa-natsiou commented after the incident: "With regard to the new incident of violence and the threats against employees of the Agency for the Research and Safeguarding of Public Revenue in the course of their duties, which happened yesterday in the Volos region, tax audits will continue with the same intensity and pace in all regions Of Greece, aiming at combating tax evasion."

"Tax authorities and their employees will continue their work, even though some insist on tactics and perceptions of the past, continuing to regard tax evasion as the norm," Papanatsiou continued.