Up to 30 billion euros in tax evasion
Belgium's Secretary of State for the Fight against Fraud, John Crombez (Flemish socialist), wants to gain a better picture of the scale of tax evasion in Belgium.
Mr Crombez was responding after tax expert Michel Maus wrote that some 26 billion euros in tax remains unpaid in Belgium.
John Crombez: "It's extremely difficult for me to give an exact figure of the scale of tax evasion in Belgium. I've already called for an independent commission to be set up to examine this issue. Estimates vary from 6 billion to 30 billion euros. It's a gigantic amount, but we just don't know the exact figure. I'm counting on 720 million in extra revenue for this year's budget. It's a figure that will continue to rise. Gradually the amount that is not being paid to the taxman will get smaller and smaller."
