Germany eyes receipt lottery to curb €70 billion tax loss

The president of the German tax union has proposed turning retail and restaurant receipts into lottery tickets, a scheme designed to reduce the estimated €70 billion the country loses each year through cash‑based tax evasion. The model is based on Taiwan’s receipt‑lottery, introduced in 1951, which boosted the island’s tax revenue by 75 percent within a year, and on similar programs now running in Malta and several EU states.

If adopted, German consumers would keep their receipts to enter periodic draws, creating a financial incentive for merchants to record sales accurately. The proposal targets cash‑intensive sectors such as gastronomy, bakeries and small retail, and promises prize payouts to participants while potentially raising billions in additional tax revenue for the state.