Greek tax authorities are deploying artificial intelligence to scan social media for lavish weddings and events fraudulently declared to the government as low-budget gatherings, in an escalating crackdown on one of the country's most entrenched tax evasion sectors.
Officials from the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, known by its Greek acronym AADE, said the AI algorithms analyze photos and videos posted publicly online to identify high-end celebrations — featuring hundreds of guests and premium catering — that are reported to authorities as modest affairs.
"The party is over," AADE officials declared in announcing the initiative.
In the coming weeks, the authority will extend its Digital Client Register to event organizers, requiring them to pre-report guest numbers, event duration and menu costs before each event. Field inspectors will then conduct targeted, risk-based audits to identify under-invoicing and unreported cash transactions.
Photographers, florists, DJs and other affiliated vendors will fall within the investigative net, and clients' declared spending will be cross-checked against their tax profiles to flag wealth discrepancies.
The digital registry has already generated significant revenue in other sectors.
A parking facility in Chania was recently fined 14,000 euros after inspectors found 140 unregistered vehicles and rejected the owner's claim of technical difficulties.
The Bank of Greece acknowledges the shadow economy remains above the European average, and the European Commission estimates fuel smuggling alone costs the state 500 million euros annually.
AADE said recovered revenues from the broadening crackdown are central to the government's target of a 4.4 percent primary surplus for 2025 — fiscal headroom that Athens says it intends to return to taxpayers through future tax relief measures.
Βy Leito Missiakouli