Coming soon to Romania? Application for checking and reporting receipts, inspired by Greece

The National Agency for Fiscal Administration intends to introduce in Romania a mobile application through which customers will be able to verify the authenticity of fiscal receipts. The idea was announced by the president of the institution, Adrian Nicușor Nica, who explained that the solution is inspired by a project already implemented in Greece. The main goal is to reduce tax evasion and increase consumer confidence in the correctness of commercial transactions.

The new application is expected to allow users to scan or enter data from the fiscal receipt in order to confirm that it was issued by a cash register connected to ANAF servers. If there are suspicions or discrepancies, users will be able to quickly send a report to the institution. Officials say it is not an intrusive tool, but rather a way for citizens to actively contribute to compliance with tax rules.

How does the system in Greece work?

The Greek application is called Appodixi, a term meaning “proof” or “receipt.” It was launched by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) and is part of a broader program to digitalize the tax administration. Its purpose is simple: to give citizens the possibility to quickly and easily verify whether the receipts they receive when shopping are authentic and registered in the tax system.

The process is intuitive. The user opens the application on their phone, scans the QR code on the receipt, and within seconds receives confirmation whether the receipt has been transmitted to AADE servers. If the system detects that the document does not exist in the database or has been falsified, the application allows the user to send a direct report to the authorities. This report can be anonymous, for those who do not wish to reveal their identity, or nominal, for people who agree to be contacted later.

One aspect that caught public attention is the financial reward mechanism. In Greece, those who report irregularities through Appodixi can receive amounts of up to 3,000 euros, depending on the seriousness of the case and the estimated fiscal loss. This strategy has encouraged citizen involvement and turned the application into a tool for collaboration between the population and authorities.

The results did not take long to appear. In the first year of operation, the application was downloaded by hundreds of thousands of people, and over one hundred thousand reports were submitted. Approximately half of these were anonymous, showing that many citizens prefer to contribute discreetly to combating tax evasion. Nevertheless, even under these circumstances, the authorities managed to identify numerous cases of fraud and impose sanctions.

More importantly, there is a preventive effect. With the introduction of Appodixi, Greek merchants have become more careful about issuing receipts, aware that every customer can now check them on the spot. Thus, the application not only gathered useful data for inspections but also created a culture of fiscal responsibility.

Possible effects in Romania

If the ANAF application is implemented correctly, it could bring benefits to both the state and taxpayers. Citizens will have the possibility to quickly verify whether their payments are officially recorded, while merchants will be more motivated to follow the rules, knowing that every client can perform an instant check. At the same time, the authorities could collect useful data for more targeted inspections and for the quick sanctioning of irregularities.

However, the project is not without challenges. A solid IT infrastructure will be needed, capable of supporting a large volume of checks, as well as an information campaign to encourage the use of the application. Moreover, a balance must be found between strict controls and support for small businesses, which could be affected by penalties imposed for technical errors or minor oversights.

Conclusion

Romania is at the beginning of a fiscal digitalization process that could change the way commercial transactions are reported. Inspired by Greece’s example, the ANAF application could become a useful tool in fighting tax evasion, provided it is well adapted to local realities and is received with trust by citizens. It remains to be seen whether the authorities will manage to launch it in a short time and turn it into an efficient mechanism capable of increasing voluntary compliance.