Cyprus top 50 tax laggards

Christoforos Karayiannas Liopetri and Marios Karayiannas Freneros

By George Psyllides

Fifty people and companies, including developers and football clubs, owe the state over €163 million in taxes it emerged on Monday, following the leak of a confidential finance ministry list submitted to parliament.

The list includes first division clubs, developers, hoteliers and other businesses that owe the state between €1.5 million and €14.7 million – the highest amount.

The state has filed lawsuits against most and has made collection arrangements with others. Restrictions have also been placed on immovable property.

Nicosia football clubs Omonia and APOEL owe around €7 million and €6 million respectively. AEL of Limassol and Anorthosis Famagusta owe €2.2 million and €3.1 million respectively. The list includes a second entry for Anorthosis, which owes €2.4 million. All the clubs have made arrangements with the state for repayment of the amounts.

The state has also filed a lawsuit against APOEL and restrictions have been placed on property.

Included in the list is NK Shacolas Group LTD, which owes €6.8 million, Miltiades Neophytou LTD, €5.7 million, Athienitis developers, €4.2 million, Giovani developers, €3.6 million, Venus Rock Estates, €2 million, Aristo developers, €1.8 million, Pafilia, €1.7 million, and Christophoros Karayiannas and Son Ltd, €1.5 million.

The list does not include amounts which have been appealed nor the names of individuals and companies who have gone bankrupt or are under administration.

It was submitted after Green party MP Giorgos Perdikis accused Finance Minister Harris Georgiades of providing cover to tax evaders.

Perdikis had asked for the names of the people and companies who owed the most to the tax department.

Georgiades said it was a matter of confidentiality, clearly stipulated in tax legislation.

“Fully respecting the right of every MP to exercise critic, I consider the references unfair and excessive, especially when restrictions arise from legal provisions that parliament has passed,” Georgiades said in a letter accompanying the list.

Confidentiality can be lifted for reasons of public interest, the minister said, but the tax commissioner decided no such reason existed in relation with the MP’s request.

However, the law also afforded the minister the power to have the final say and allows him to give the list to the house president, exclusively for parliamentary oversight reasons, with the proviso that it would be handled confidentially and its publication would be avoided so as not to hurt public trust.

Link to the list [Greek only] here: lista.pdf

1. R.X. Processing 14, 747,554
2. Mediterranean Holiday Res LTD 9, 750, 222
3. Omonia Football Club 7, 034, 885
4. N. K. Shacolas-Holdings LTD 6, 855, 827
5. APOEL Football club LTD 6, 151, 892
6. Firmworth Finance and Investments LTD 6, 088, 894
7. C.N.H. Ependysis Axias LTD 5, 888, 806
8. Miltiades Neophytou C. E. & Developers 5, 753, 877
9. Chacholis Developers LTD 5, 904, 677
10. K. Athienitis Con. Devel. Public Ltd 4, 217, 999
11. A.C.L.N. LTD 3, 994, 818
12. Tauler Consultants LTD 3, 939, 268
13. Giovani Developers LTD 3,650, 016
14. Renos Hadjioannou Farm LTD 3, 600, 533
15. Kofinou Abbatoir 3,196, 216
16. Anorthosis Football Club 3, 146, 394
17. Olveron Investments LTD 2, 876, 969
18. Suphire Securities and Fin. Serv. LTD 2, 587, 647
19. Michalis D. Zavos Investments LTD 2, 546, 936
20. C.T. Tobacco LTD 2, 505, 596
21. Kleanthis Savva Developers LTD 2, 457, 988
22. Anorthosis Ammochostos Football Club 2, 456,042
23. Paphos Mediterran Hotels LTD 2, 398, 537
24. Oikonomou Georgios 2, 386, 926
25. CYEMS CO LTD 2, 351, 329
26. Cyproperties Constructions LTD 2, 293, 585
27. AEL Football Club 2, 290, 948
28. Lagos Vaggelis 2, 230, 708
29. Makrides Zacharias 2, 222, 618
30. Marzen Holdings Company LTD 2, 217, 942
31. Sigma –Severis & Athienitis Secu. LTD 2, 182,032
32. Chacholis Development Operations LTD 2,177, 463
33. UNISYS World Trade Inc. 2, 152, 279
34. Zaquato LTD 2, 120, 367
35. Venus Rock Estates LTD 2, 068, 281
36. Global Value PLC 1, 937, 586
37. Transport Investments Holdings LTD 1, 929, 109
38 Omikron Bookmakers LTD 1, 928, 299
39. Panos Eliades LTD 1, 922, 292
40. A. & E. Transport LTD 1,910, 685
41. Aristo Developments 1, 835, 170
42. Starcloud Management LTD 1, 786, 978
43. Alexandros Demetriou & Sons LTD 1, 755, 027
44. Pafilia Property Developers LTD 1, 747, 434
45. W Investments LTD 1, 740, 771
46. M.K. Digital World (Cyprus) LTD 1, 735, 549
47. D. Zavos Group Land & BLDG Develop. 1, 609, 619
48. Gregoris Yiasemi & Sons Develop. LTD 1, 583, 283
49. Christoforos Karayiannas & Son LTD 1, 518, 283
50. Charalambou Filippos 1, 488, 784

Source: Cyprus Mail