Tax authorities come down on owners of ‘Maxima’ grocery chain

Artūras Klerauskas, deputy chief of the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI), tells DELFI that the authorities have been investigating all shareholders of UAB ‘Vilniaus Prekyba’ since 2012.

The investigation found that the shareholders owe the state almost EUR 2m in taxes, arrears and fines for the period since 2012.

“During the investigation, we analysed tax evasion schemes and calculated taxes due in line with the primacy of content over form,” the VMI spokesman says.

According to Klerauskas, the owners of ‘Maxima’ chain avoided taxes by exploiting the provision which allows deducing loan interests and proceeds from sale of securities from taxable income.

The Tax Inspectorate is also keeping an eye on UAB ‘Maxima Grupė’.

Over the first six months of this year, UAB ‘Maxima LT’ paid EUR 56.28m in taxes, making it the fourth-biggest tax payer in the country.

Last year, UAB ‘Maxima LT’ paid EUR 111m in taxes.