NAV intercepts counterfeit goods and penalizes real estate tax evasion

The Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) has intercepted two separate fraudulent operations involving counterfeit goods and real estate tax evasion.

In one incident, NAV officials inspected a van near the Golgota Street market and discovered 1,788 counterfeit sunglasses bearing brands such as Ray-Ban, Gucci, Emporio Armani, and Police. The driver attempted to bribe the officers with two to three million forints to overlook the illegal cargo, but the offer was rejected. The counterfeit items, which caused an estimated 19 million forints in damages to trademark owners, were seized, and criminal proceedings for intellectual property rights violations and attempted bribery have been initiated.

In a separate case, NAV authorities penalized an individual for illegal real estate trading. The individual sold six residential properties and a construction plot in 2024 without a tax number or proper declarations. After attempting to lower taxable income using fraudulent renovation invoices from a known fictitious service provider, the individual was ordered to pay 235 million forints. To prevent the dissipation of assets, authorities seized 11 properties, two vehicles, and froze the individual's bank accounts.