The implementation of this law remains to be seen as only few businesses, even in downtown Tirana, currently give their customers cash register receipts
TIRANA, Dec. 13 – More than 6,000 businesses operating in the country’s main cities and coastal communes have been fined during this year for not installing cash registers, according to the General Tax Directorate.
The tax administration said it fined 6,387 small and big businesses in these areas a total of around 425 million lek (4.2 million dollars) in some 19,000 controls carried out during the first 10 months of this year.
Around 26,500 cash registers have been installed during this year following the approval of a law making their installation compulsory for all small businesses in a government effort to eliminate tax evasion.
The central tax administration reminded all small traders that the final legal deadline for the installation and use of cash registers is December 31, 2010. Under the new changes approved to the local government law, traders who have bought cash registers from the four authorized companies will benefit tax reimbursement of up to 44,000 lek (440 dollars) until the end of February 2011.
Currently, the deadline for the compulsory installation of cash registers for small and big businesses operating in Tirana, Durres, Vlora, Fier, Korca, Shkodra as well as some coastal municipalities such as Golem, Rrashbull, Shengjin, Himara has already expired.
Traders operating in the remaining areas, mostly small municipalities and communes have been asked to buy cash registers only from the four Finance Ministry authorized companies, which also provide technical assistance.
Businesses operating in the transport sector, which will also have to install taximeters by the end of this month, can benefit up to 30,000 lek of reimbursement.
However, the implementation of this law remains to be seen as only few businesses, even in downtown Tirana, currently give their customers cash register receipts.
The move came after last month’s approval of a controversial draft law on local government taxes, making cash register compulsory for all small traders, who initially protested against the government decision when asked to buy them without compensation. The dispute went on with the opposition, which runs the country’s biggest municipalities worried that its revenues will be cut and dissatisfied with the unilateral approval of the bill in Parliament despite being promised compensation at a reasonable level from state budget.
The bill was approved by a narrow margin of 71 votes, while the opposition which had contested the draft law because of allegedly violating local government autonomy and finances, did not take part in the vote.
Starting from next year, government also intends to further lower VAT inclusion for small businesses for the second year in a row to 2 million lek (20,000 dollars) of annual turnover, down 5 million lek currently.
