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Customs control against undeclared work
Photo: Kai Pfaffenbach / REUTERS
Despite the corona crisis, moonlighting boomed in 2020.
This is based on a response from the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) to a request from the FDP parliamentary group.
The financial control of undeclared work (FKS) of the customs determined for 2020 a financial loss of 816.5 million euros for the tax authorities and social security.
This is a significant increase compared to the previous year, when the FKS reported a total loss of 755.4 million euros.
Amazing development
The development is astonishing because numerous industries were shut down in the past year in order to contain the pandemic.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the activities of the FKS were also restricted due to the corona.
More damage with fewer investigations - in the opinion of the opposition, this allows the conclusion that illegal employment has expanded considerably.
"Undeclared work has flourished like rarely in the pandemic," says FDP financial expert Markus Herbrand.
At the end of the term of office of Finance Minister Olaf Scholz (SPD), the fight against the shadow economy was "in a worrying state."
By September 10, the FKS determined a loss of 574 million euros for 2021.
The BMF considers annual comparisons to be problematic because the cases are often recorded in different statistical periods.
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