As the April 15 deadline for completing income tax looms, public prosecutors and tax collectors are starting large-scale action against tax evasion.

The action will be carried out by the Prosecutor General’s office, the National Revenue Agency and the State Receivables Collection Agency (SRCA). They will track down tax defaulters and confiscate assets held in Bulgaria, Bulgarian-language Sega.bg reported on March 28.

Plovdiv appeal court public prosecutor Rosen Dimov ordered that by the end of March, co-ordination centres be set up in the cities and towns of Plovdiv, Haskovo, Pazardjhik, Stara Zagora, Kurdjali and Smolyan.

The tax administration will exchange data with prosecutors. This will be used to build cases against those who attempt to conceal their actual incomes. The setting up of the centres is being done in terms of an agreement between the Prosecutor-General’s office of Cassation and the Finance Ministry.

The cases compiled will be collated in a special report. The Prosecutor-General’s office is to co-ordinate with regional offices of the National Revenue Agency to enable follow-ups.

Meanwhile residents of five municipalities who owe the state less than 5000 leva will receive “Easter messages” from income tax inspectors. The municipalities are Rousse, Pleven, Gabrovo, Veliko Turnovo and Lovetch. Their cases were filed before 2007.

In a few days, the debtors will receive a series of messages reminding them on behalf of SRCA about the amount of their duty and the consequences if their debts are not paid on time. These consequences could include seizure of the debtor’s property, excluding an single-dwelling house, bank accounts up to 250 leva of one member of the family, salary or pension up to 250 leva a month, social care, alimony, support money or allowances.

Most often, smaller debts are collected through distraints on salaries or bank accounts. SRCA said that they would now start taking action through property confiscation.