Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis

ČTK

Government Opposes EET Abolition BIlls

Andrej Babiš, ANO

Prague, Aug 15 (CTK) – The Czech minority government of ANO and the Social Democrats (CSSD) will, as expected, not support the bills proposed by the opposition right-wing TOP 09, including the abolition of electronic sales registration (EET), the cabinet’s press section announced today.

 

The government debated four bills of TOP 09 and expressed a negative stance on all of them.

 

The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, will deal with the bills regardless of the government stance.

 

Along with the abolition of the EET law, TOP 09 has drafted an amendment to the administrative court order to change the practice of issuing freezing orders in tax collection. A group of MPs for TOP 09, the Civic Democrats (ODS) and Mayors and Independents (STAN) will propose that the administrative court decide on issuing a freezing order instead of the tax or customs authority.

 

TOP 09 chairman Jiri Pospisil justifies the change saying it would limit the arbitrariness of state officials and prevent the abuse of freezing orders and harming businesspeople.

 

A tax office may use freezing orders as a tool in the fight with tax evasion. Its aim is to freeze a certain sum corresponding to the businessperson’s future tax duty, according to the tax administration. However, the tax office expects the tax administration to have serious and well-founded reasons for this measure.

 

TOP 09 also proposes that the EET be abolished as it burdens businesses disproportionately, while the government considers it an efficient tool in fighting tax evasion.

 

The previous coalition government of the CSSD, ANO and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) pushed through the EET law despite the right-wing parties’ opposition at the initiative of then finance minister and current PM Andrej Babis (ANO).

 

Moreover, Babis’s cabinet will reject the TOP 09-proposed amendment to the penal order that would abolish the crime of tax evasion preparation. All ministries, along with the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court stood up against the draft amendment.