Government Breaking Law With Tax Dodgers Campaign

A telecommunications expert is accusing the Croatian government of breaking the law during its campaign to try to catch tax dodgers, reports Croatian news portal Index.

Just days after introducing new fiscalization laws, making it compulsory for all traders to have fiscal cash registers that are hooked up with the state tax office, the government has launched a campaign asking citizens to make sure they receive a receipt with purchases and to check a code on the receipt by sending a sms to a number they have set up.

By failing to inform citizens on either their promotional campaign video, Facebook page or on the Finance Ministry website that the sms costs 86 lipa (0.11 euro), telecommunications expert Đuro Labura says they are breaking an electronic communications law by not revealing the cost of each sms.

The penalty for the offence is a fine ranging from 50,000 kuna (6,500 euros) to 500,000 (65,000 euros).