Video: Distillery Companies Fail to Pay Large Taxes and Use Illegal Excise Stamps

The State Revenue Committee has obtained information that two distillery companies with mutual interests in the village of Bjni, Kotayk Province, have been producing vodka in fact at one location, while indicating different addresses in their notifications for the production of alcoholic beverages, violating part 7 of Article 22 of the RA Law on Notification of Business Activities. This was reported by the Public Relations and Information Department of the SRC.

"There are also allegations regarding these economic entities potentially engaging in fraudulent entrepreneurship, failing to pay taxes or mandatory payments, as well as preparing for crimes related to the illegal sale of excise stamps. Additionally, there are reasonable suspicions that the companies, lacking notifications for the production of distilled alcoholic beverages and ethyl alcohol from fermentation materials, are also producing vodka made from wheat spirit.

During operational-investigative measures, samples of alcoholic beverages were taken for examination, and appropriate expert analyses were appointed. If the examination confirms that the companies produced not fruit-based but wheat vodkas, the state duty underpaid by the companies would amount to 30 million drams. In addition to the amount of the underpaid tax, according to Article 408 of the RA Tax Code, a penalty of 300 million drams will be imposed for conducting activities subject to notification without a notification, specifically for producing wheat vodka, while the value of the companies' excise tax obligations will also be subject to recalculation.

The companies have registered the sale of vodkas at prices lower than the legally established minimum, thus hiding real taxable objects. It has also been found that the excise stamps affixed to the produced alcoholic beverages were incorrectly attributed electronically; specifically, vodkas of different volumes were stamped with excise stamps meant for wine. It has also come to light that one of the companies has labeled and sold its bottled products using excise stamps received from the other company.