Georgian revenue service inspects opposition-minded TV channel’s advertising company
Head of ruling Georgian Dream party Kobakhidze said earlier in July that the funding of three opposition-minded TV channels had to be investigated due to the ‘imbalance between revenues and expenditures.’ Photo: Netgazeti.ge.
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The Georgian revenue service has started inspecting the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi’s advertising company following the accusations of ruling party head Irakli Kobakhidze that three TV stations are funded with ‘black money.’
Head and founder of Mtavari Arkhi Nika Gvaramia linked the launch of the investigation to an attempt to falsify upcoming elections and noted that other media outlets face the same threat.
In this country silencing the media ends with falsified elections,” said Gvaramia.
He also noted that if the revenue service seizes anything in the advertising company the ‘TV channel will no longer receive revenue.’
The lawyer of the TV station Tamta Muradashvili said that the planned inspection of the sales company had to be conducted after one year.
The Georgian revenue service released a statement yesterday regarding the issue and noted that the body ‘constantly conducts scheduled tax audits of taxpayers.’
Statement also reads that an additional 500 taxpayers were selected by the revenue service in July including the advertising agency of Matavri Arkhi, ‘which together with other entrepreneurial entities provides services to this TV station.’
The revenue service stated that this measure is a standard procedure, which studies the possible risks and completes the procedure if the relevant risks do not exist.
It also noted that tax audit is implemented only remotely and ‘does not restrict taxpayer’s activity in any way.’
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili stated in his Facebook post that this inspection will start and end without any unnecessary inconvenience to the taxpayer.
He stated that the revenue service has an automated electronic system that evaluates companies based on dozens of different risk criteria and assigns appropriate scores based on which a list of enterprises to be inspected is generated.
Khutsishvili also explained that the tax audit order for the advertising company was issued on July 23 and the taxpayer opened the notice on July 27.
Head of ruling Georgian Dream party Kobakhidze said earlier in July that the funding of three opposition-minded TV channels had to be investigated due to the ‘imbalance between revenues and expenditures.’