Time is counting down and the very few businesses, approximately 5% – 6% of the total, that have not made the POS – cash register interface should do so immediately if they do not want to be heavily fined, and this is because M. Tuesday (30.4.2024) the connection deadline ends. The number of businesses that are … ignored is around 25,000.
The Minister of Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis, has made it clear that no further extension will be given for the POS – cash register interface and on May 2nd the relevant circular will be issued that will determine the road map for the next day, as well as the way of enforcing the fines.
AADE has already started checks and has proceeded to impose the first fines on companies with a turnover of more than 1 million euros, which did not do what the procedure provides so far and their explanations were deemed “unsatisfactory”. Controls continue in the rest of the businesses, regardless of turnover, and will be intensified in the coming days.
The checks concern, apart from the obligation to interface POS – cash registers, the operation of POS in the businesses of the 35 retail branches that are required to have installed them from April 1.
Within the next few hours, AADE will proceed to send another mass informational email both to those businesses that have not yet completed their connection and have an appointment scheduled to do so, as well as to those that have not responded at all to date.
The deadlines
Until April 30th they have time to connect:
- Businesses that did not proceed with the interconnection of their systems in March, but have a scheduled appointment with an installation technician in April.
- Businesses that have declared to the POS Registry that they are going to replace their cash register system with one of the newly available “all in one” solutions, which does not require additional interface actions, despite making transactions. ATTENTION: Those who have purchased an all-in-one solution but have not made a transaction are considered “not connected”! It is noted that seven electronic invoicing providers with such solutions have been approved.
- Especially businesses that use a cash register system with ERP software and must follow the basic interconnection rule of A.1155/2023 for their POS, are reminded that they have until May 31st and in the case of a scheduled appointment for the purpose of interconnection within June 2024 to the end of the given month.
- Finally, the cash registers of businesses that are closed for any reason (e.g. seasonality) and will be opened after the end of the above schedule, should be interconnected with the POS terminals they have from the first day of business resumption.
Obliged businesses that have not linked their systems or proceeded with scheduling appointments by April face fines if they cannot justify not doing so due to force majeure.
Specifically, a fine is provided for:
- 10,000 euros, as long as they follow a simple accounting system.
- 20,000 euros, as long as they follow a double-entry bookkeeping system.
These fines are halved for businesses established in settlements with a population of up to 500 inhabitants and on islands with a population of up to 3,100 inhabitants (excluding tourist). In the event of a recurrence within five years, the fines are doubled and for each subsequent same violation they are tripled.
Finally, it is recalled that as of April 1, 35 retail branches are required to have POS installed and accept card transactions. Otherwise, a fine of 1,500 euros per violation is provided.
