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This Thursday, a 56 year old man was summoned to the Auxerre correctional court (Yonne) to answer for facts of fraud.
This former car salesman would have defrauded the VAT settlement for a total amount estimated at more than ten million euros, reports
L'Yonne Républicaine
.
The respondent allegedly used a technique so as not to pay VAT on more than 700 vehicles between 2006 and 2010. He began by finding a used car in Germany, more than six months old and with more than 6000 kilometers, this which meant that he was not subject to VAT.
Then, he had the vehicle bought by a buffer company based in Spain, which established an invoice including tax when it had bought it excluding tax.
In the end, he bought this vehicle which had never been in Spain, giving in the process a commission "of about 500 euros" to the company which had established the false invoice.
"We were never told that we were not allowed"
None of the buyers and sellers of this system therefore paid VAT, which allowed the 50-year-old to resell these vehicles at unbeatable prices.
“I received lists of cars from Spain and bought them.
I was working with someone I trust and it was working great.
We were never told that we did not have the right, and I did not make any direct orders with Germany ”, declared the defendant in front of the magistrates.
A version contradicted by a former trainee of this company who assured during his police custody that the seller was indeed aware of the fraud.
A three-year prison sentence, including one year with a two-year probationary suspension, as well as a fine of 20,000 euros were requested by the public prosecutor.
The verdict should be known on October 8.
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Justice
Fraud
VAT
Fraud