Moroccan Tax Authorities Target Luxury Car Fraud Scheme

According to Hespress, random programming operations via the Risk Analysis System (SAR) are underway in these regions. They follow the collection of data on purchases of more than 1.5 million dirhams by individuals who do not appear in the tax database. Under the cover of shell companies, the persons concerned carry out import and distribution activities in the wood trade sector.

These individuals have acquired, against cash payment, new or used vehicles of the Ferrari, Bugatti, Maserati and Mercedes G-Class brands, which has alerted the tax inspectors. With the help of the National Financial Intelligence Authority (ANRF), they discovered that these transactions were accompanied by guarantee checks, allowing the buyers to make the payments in several installments.

Fiscal irregularities were also noted at the level of car garages and regularly registered companies, specialized in the import of new vehicles. The inspectors noted exorbitant profit margins due to the surge in used car prices and the increase in demand.

The DGI inspectors also carried out a thorough examination of the tax returns of the companies belonging to the buyers of luxury cars, revealing an organized tax fraud for the past four years. Most of them reported chronic deficits. This data was transmitted to the central data analysis unit to determine whether the persons concerned derive their income from illicit activities such as money laundering or drug trafficking.