The German government will implement a package of 26 measures to combat tax evasion, including increasing fines and hiring new specialists.

The German government, led by Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, has announced a package of 26 measures aimed at accelerating the fight against tax evasion. These measures include increasing fines, raising the number of investigators, and using artificial intelligence to detect fraud.

Although the Ministry of Finance has not provided precise estimates, officials expect additional revenues of billions of euros. Among the proposed measures are increasing penalties for organized tax crimes from 10 to 15 years and reclassifying tax evasion as a serious crime. The government will hire 1,500 specialists in customs services and will introduce a new electronic system for VAT reporting.

Additionally, companies will be required to use electronic cash registers and to keep accounting records for 15 years. Klingbeil estimates additional revenues of one billion euros from these measures by 2027.