POS / Fines of up to 300,000 euros for those who delay the interconnection of cash registers

Stricter fines and sanctions not only for any overdue businesses that have not connected them POS with their cash registers, but also for their providers POS, of ERPs and of cash registers in case it doesn’t cooperate, provided for in a relevant regulation submitted to the Parliament by Ministry of National Economy and Finance.

At the same time, today the results are announced 3rd cycle financing part of POS purchase and interface costswhile the start of the 4th funding cycle in the next days. In addition, by order of the Minister, Kostis Hatzidakis, there is also going to be 5th funding round in order to cover as many businesses as possible. It is emphasized that from 3 first funding rounds the corresponding vouchers have been approved in 121,138 businesses for purchase/replacement POS (18.1 million euros) and 169,837 companies to cover part of the cost of interconnection of POS with cashiers (22.5 million euros).

In relation to the fines, tightening of penalties and fines concerns all of them links of the chaini.e. all the companies involved in the implementation of the interconnection project, namely:

A) Any overdue businesses that are required to connect their systems. Specifically, for any overdue businesses that are obliged by law to connect theermatic POS machines with cash registers and do not do so within the timetables provided:

Amount fine 10,000 eurosif it is an obligation to keep a simple accounting system or 20,000 euros if it is an obligation to keep a double accounting system.

The fine reduced by 50%when imposed on users of POS terminals that carry out their activity in settlements with a population of up to 500 inhabitants and to Islands with a population of less than 3,100 inhabitants, except for the places that have been declared as tourist.

If the same offense is committed within five years old from the notification of the initial act imposing a fine, the fines are doubled and for each subsequent same violation within five years from the notification of the initial act imposing a fine they are tripled.

B) POS terminal providers. In the event that these companies do not cooperate with the requirements for the operation and interconnection of the POS with the cash registers, as defined by the AADE, it is mandatory:

Amount fine 200,000 euros. However, if the same infringement is committed within five years of the notification of the initial act imposing a fine, a fine of 300,000 euros.

Those providers who do not take any action to upgrade their terminals for which they appear as administrators in the Payment Means Register then:

a) the declaration of conformity ceases to be valid, i.e. the possibility POS terminals to be compatible with market conditionsand a fine of 100,000 euros is imposed by decision of the Governor and

b) a fine of 500 euros per POS terminal for which they have not upgraded it. The fine is not imposed if the non-upgrade is demonstrably due to no fault of theirs.

C) The importers and manufacturers of cash registers. In the event that these companies do not cooperate in the implementation of the project as defined by AADE, then there may be:

Withdrawal of the cash register model suitability license for those who have not carried out the necessary actions and technical checks to ensure its interfacing with POS terminal types

A fine of 10,000 euros.

D) Electronic Invoicing Providers that interface with Commercial/Accounting Management Programs (Enterprise Resource Planning, “ERP”). And in cases where these companies do not cooperate in the implementation of the project then:

Documents issued by the ERP program will not be considered legal.

A fine of 10,000 euros

E) Finally, for violations concerning installation technicians’ obligations, i.e. submission of a customer list statement or sending information related to technical support services, the following is required:

• amount fine 1,000 euros per non-declared, late-declared or inaccurately-declared customer to whom F.H.M. technical support services are provided or who accepts them. or business/accounting management program (“ERP”) services.

This fine is not imposed, as long as the undeclared, late declared or inaccurately declared customers to whom the above services are provided do not exceed 15% of the total number of customers or do not cumulatively exceed ten (10), per entity that provides the relevant services.