Nearly 3,000 companies and individuals owe Hungary’s tax office APEH a total of Ft 500 billion (€1.9 billion), the same amount needed for a proposed tax reform, writes FigyelőNet.
Of course, the tax reform is not dependent on the debtors listed on APEH website coughing up, the tax office does not think it can ever collect the money.
However, it has published a blacklist to inform potential business partners of companies they should avoid.
There are two lists, one that includes individuals who have back taxes in excess of Ft 10 million for at least 180 days, and another with companies owing at least Ft 100 million over the same period. The full list can be downloaded from here and here.
In total 2,993 individuals and businesses are on the shame list, including Márta Tocsik, a lawyer who last year was ordered by a court to pay back to the state Ft 801 million in connection with a 1996 scandal surrounding the finances of MSZP and the SZDSZ, as well as Ezüsthajó Kft, the company that became infamous for landing several contracts from the Orbán government.
The list does not reveal how much each debtor owes the state in taxes, fines and interest, only that the total amount comes to Ft 498.5 billion.
The tax office said there little hope of recovering some Ft 287 billion, as the majority of the 2,191 companies on the list are in liquidation.