Guests Forced Out of Hotel as Tax Authorities Close it Down

Guests at Hotel Libra in the northern Adriatic town of Senj got an unpleasant shock on Wednesday, when they were told they had just a few hours to vacate their hotel as it was about to be shut down by tax inspectors.

With the MInister of Finance Slavko Linic going on the rampage in recent months chasing up tax evaders, Hotel Libra received a visit on Wednesday by the tax inspectors, who had no mercy despite the hotel full with guests in the peak of the season. The hotel offered to clear their debt of around 100,000 EUR with the tax authorities within 8 days but the offer failed to avoid the doors being shut. All 66 guests were given just a few hours to move out, reports dnevnik.hr, adding that hotel staff had to scour the beaches to find their guests to inform them of the bad news.

The hotel’s lawyers then got involved and after lengthy discussion with the Ministry, tax inspectors re-opened the hotel again at 5pm. Most guests made their way back to the hotel after being put up in private accommodation, but some guests had reportedly left town already. This weekend the Senj international carnival is held and hotel Libra is the only hotel in the town.