Benevento – A house of cards made of non-existent invoices and unearned tax credits has collapsed under the blows of the Guardia di Finanza (Italian Finance Police). The Solopaca branch of the Guardia di Finanza (Fiamme Gialle) has executed a precautionary seizure order, aimed at confiscating assets worth approximately €200.000.
The order, issued by the preliminary investigations judge of the Benevento Court at the request of the Sannio Prosecutor's Office, targets two construction contractors operating in Telese Terme, accused, on various counts, of tax crimes and aggravated fraud against the state.
The mechanism of the "paper company"
The investigation began in 2022, following an inspection by the INPS (National Institute of Social Security) in Benevento. The inspectors had scrutinized a company that, on paper, operated in painting and glass installation.
However, behind the formal activity, the financial police discovered a typical "shell company": an entity with no real operational structure, used primarily to issue false invoices to third parties. This system allowed various companies to illegally reduce their tax burden by simulating costs they never incurred.
The business of fake energy credits
In addition to VAT and income tax evasion—estimated at approximately €138.000—the investigation uncovered a second, equally lucrative strand: construction incentives. The suspects allegedly prepared fictitious documentation to obtain tax deductions related to energy efficiency improvements that were never carried out or were inflated. Thanks to this ploy, they managed to unduly receive tax credits totaling over €50.000.
The Court's order
The investigating judge, accepting the prosecutor's findings, deemed the prosecution's case sound, ordering the freezing of accounts and assets worth an amount equivalent to the proceeds of the crime. The operation is part of a broader effort to combat illicit public spending, aimed at protecting state coffers and businesses operating properly in compliance with market rules.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
The article discusses a very interesting tax fraud case, but many details remain unclear. How could these entrepreneurs have operated for so long without being discovered? I hope there will be further developments in the future.