August 17 2009, NRA Press Office

Mobile Teams for preventive control of VAT-registering companies are being established in the Sofia office of the National Revenue Agency /NRA/.  The aim is to improve control of companies seeking VAT registration or those already registered. The mobile teams will include NRA inspectors, an economic police officer and a representative of the British consultants from Crown Agents.

The task of the mobile teams is to collect additional information about the companies applying for VAT registration. If they are found to be connected with VAT fraudsters, they will be denied registration. The teams will also detect companies which have been established with the only purpose of VAT-siphoning and will be able to impose penalties on persons trying to commit VAT frauds.

The mobile teams will make unexpected examinations of offices or trade areas, in order to verify the data declared by the corresponding companies in their VAT applications. The aim of such examinations, for example, is to verify whether the premises described correspond to the declared activities and whether an office exists at the address of the applying company. The experts from the mobile teams will be able to evaluate the authenticity of the documentation and will interview representatives of the risky companies, using standardized questionnaires.

The mobile groups project starts first in Sofia and, depending on the results, will be taken to the rest of the country at a later stage.