Record number of tax denunciations

A record number of Belgians reported acquaintances and family members to the tax authorities for suspicious behaviour last year. The inland revenue received 1,221 such denunciations, an increase of about 70% on the previous year, report De Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Belang van Limburg today. In the first three months of this year, 479 reports were received by the tax authorities – more than for the whole of 2010. One in three denunciations is anonymous. However, they all involved a person close to the informant, such as a neighbour, an ex-partner, a colleague, employer or direct family member. “We launch an investigation whenever we receive a report,” said Francis Adyns of the Federal Public Service for Finance. “This does not mean that we always find something, however.” The economic crisis may explain the increase in denunciations, with some people feeling a great sense of injustice.