Fuel tax fraud investigations in Italy

Italian authorities have conducted investigations into various fuel-related tax fraud schemes.

In the province of Lucca, the Guardia di Finanza and the Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli blocked approximately 75,000 euros in fuel tax refunds. The investigation found that a transport company had claimed diesel excise tax relief by citing a private fuel distribution station that authorities determined was a “phantom station” and did not exist. The company’s legal representative was reported for ideological falsehood in a public act, and the firm faced administrative fines and a multi-year prohibition on submitting new refund requests.

In a larger-scale operation known as ‘Operation Improver,’ the Prosecutor's Office of Genoa uncovered a scheme involving fuel additives worth over 15 million euros. This investigation alleged that companies used shell entities in the United Kingdom and Switzerland to evade excise duties by mislabeling chemical products as non-taxable substances. The operation, which involved analyzing over 300,000 bank transactions, led to searches of homes and offices, the seizure of electronic devices, and the seizure of assets from three companies.