Crackdown on illegal employment and customs offences – Financial Police uncover fraud in the delivery sector
As part of a targeted enforcement operation, the Anti-Fraud Office, Sector Financial Police, has succeeded in striking a blow against illicit work and tax fraud in the delivery sector. Investigations by the Feldkirch Financial Police led to the uncovering of several breaches of social security and tax law regulations. Those affected include a sole entrepreneur from Vorarlberg and another company linked to her family. The provisional total of the penalties imposed and additional tax claims amounts to around €118,000.
The investigation began with a check in November 2025: officers from the Feldkirch Financial Police stopped a delivery vehicle with Swiss number plates. During the check, it emerged that, contrary to legal requirements, the driver had not been registered with the Austrian Health Insurance Fund before starting work.
The subsequent investigations into the sole trader responsible brought systematic misconduct to light. In total, it was established that eleven employees of various nationalities had only been registered for social insurance after a so-called ‘trial period’. Due to these breaches of the Austrian General Social Security Act (ASVG), a criminal complaint was filed with the competent district authority. The proposed fine amounts to 12,500 euros.
Furthermore, the Financial Police established that the entrepreneur had been using at least eight vehicles with foreign number plates permanently within the country without fulfilling the necessary requirements under tax law. Austrian Customs confirmed the unlawful use of the vehicles. A customs duty of 9,000 euros was set per vehicle, resulting in a total of 72,000 euros. Further procedures in this regard are currently still pending.
In the course of the investigations, the Financial Police extended their checks to another company – the limited liability company (GmbH) owned by the entrepreneur’s son. There, too, several breaches of social security registration obligations were identified. A total of seven cases of improper registration of employees were documented. The Financial Police filed a criminal complaint with the district authority for 6,730 euros.
In addition, customs violations were also identified at this company in connection with the use of vehicles with foreign number plates, leading to further customs duties of 27,000 euros. Further grounds for suspicion – inter alia in connection with possible tax evasion and a missing non-cash benefit – were forwarded to the relevant authorities for further investigation.
With a current total of €118,230 in fines and duties, the Anti-Fraud Office and customs are sending a clear signal against unfair competition and the abuse of social security and tax systems. Inspections in the delivery sector and checks on the lawful use of foreign number plates will continue to be carried out consistently.
“Targeted checks in particularly high-risk sectors are an essential part of effective fraud prevention. Anyone who fails to register employees properly or uses vehicles domestically in breach of tax regulations gains an unfair competitive advantage over companies operating correctly. This is precisely what we are consistently taking action against,” said Wilfried Lehner, Head of the Financial Police.
“We take a clear stance: zero tolerance for tax fraud and tax evasion. Anyone who does not abide by the rules and hopes to gain benefits at the expense of the general public must expect severe penalties. Combating tax fraud is a matter of justice,” says Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer.