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Surprise for Santa; $700 fine from Hungarian tax officials

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Surprise for Santa; $700 fine from Hungarian tax officials

Budapest - Tax inspectors posing as parents booked the Santa for failing to invoice his seasonal gift-giving services.

By AFP


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Published: Mon 7 Dec 2015, 2:42 PM

Last updated: Mon 7 Dec 2015, 5:31 PM

A Hungarian Santa received a nasty surprise after tax inspectors posing as parents booked him for failing to invoice his seasonal gift-giving services.
The Santa, who told his sad story to the TV2 channel on Sunday, said he was invited to a Budapest apartment by parents who, as per local tradition, told him beforehand how the children behaved during the year.
After singing, handing over presents, and smiling for photographs, Santa, who traditionally visits children in Hungary on December 6, was in for a shock however while waiting for his cash in the lobby.
Called back into the apartment the "parents" showed him their tax inspector identity cards and said he would be fined for not producing an invoice.
"I only do this once a year, so I didn't think there would be any problem," the man told TV2, adding that he expects a fine of around 200,000 forints ($700).
Hungary's tax office told the broadcaster that it couldn't comment on individual cases but that they do indeed check Advent and Christmas-related traders and service providers, without exception.


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