Growing Statistics of Tax Crimes

The lower the value of "black gold" on the world market, the more intensity of the work of tax officials of the country to identify violators of fiscal discipline: in 2015 the number of criminal cases on tax evasion and illegal business increased by two.

According to the Department of Analytical Taxes in the past year, the Department for Preliminary Investigation of Tax Crimes initiated 1853 criminal cases.

As a general rule, criminal cases are filed in field tax audit, on evasion of taxes and on facts coming from the law enforcement agencies.

During the investigation of these criminal cases the involved persons contributed 69.5 million mantas to the state budget. This is 4.3 times more than in 2014 (16 million manats). At the same time 576 cases were canceled due to full repayment of the taxes and penalties.

With respect to 57 individuals a preventive measure of arrest was chosen, which was more than twice the figure for 2014. In 71 criminal cases the indictments in relation to 83 persons were directed to the judicial authorities.

In 2014 the Ministry of Taxes filed 971, in 2013 - 519, and in 2012 - 417 criminal cases. As it can be seen, correlation has been identified between tax crimes and the reduction in oil prices. Tax officials are trying to replenish the state budget by coercive methods.

According to the State Statistics Committee, as of 1 October 2015 Azerbaijan registered 86.4 thousand legal entities of private entrepreneurship, as well as 564 thousand individuals engaged in business without creating a legal entity. ----08D