Magnesia Chamber and Tax Technicians dispute business closure duties

The Magnesia Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Tax Technicians of Free Professionals of Magnesia are engaged in a dispute regarding the responsibilities of business owners and tax professionals concerning the General Commercial Registry (GEMI).

The Chamber of Commerce issued a response to the Association, claiming that certain communications regarding GEMI debts were misleading. The Chamber clarified that, according to AADE regulation 1181 and Law 4919/2022, business owners are obligated to register with GEMI. When a business ceases operations, the owner or their paid tax professional must follow the appropriate procedures with the tax office and subsequently notify the Chamber. The Chamber emphasized that it has not requested tax professionals to perform registry liquidations for free, but rather expects proper cooperation to ensure legal compliance.

In response, the Association of Tax Technicians rejected the notion that accountants are “unpaid employees” of the Chamber. The Association stated that tax professionals are independent experts who act only upon specific instructions and compensation from their clients. They argued that the responsibility for notifying the Chamber of a business closure does not fall institutionally on accountants and that if such administrative tasks are required, they must be officially recognized and compensated.