Financial Services, Internet, Latvia, Legislation, Taxation, Technology

The Revenue Service earlier found that the ss.lv website was being used for illegal business operations by persons buying and selling automobiles who had not registered with the Revenue Service.

The Revenue Service identified several such schemes. One of the largest schemes involved sale of about 700 automobiles, which caused the state a loss of approximately EUR 500,000 in unpaid taxes.

The Revenue Service requested the portal to provide information about such persons. Most portals have agreed to provide the Revenue Service with such information, but not ss.lv, therefore the portal will be closed, said Karklina Admine.

The Revenue Service has halted operations of SIA Internet as the company is the user of the ss.lv domain. As soon as the company begins to cooperate with the Revenue Service and eliminates other shortcomings, it will be permitted to resume operations.

According to Karklina-Admine, ss.lv has not been taken down as yet. It will take up to five days for the Network Solutions Department of the University of Latvia's Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, the top level domain .lv registry, to take the portal down.

So far this year, SIA Internet has been warned four times to provide information requested by the Revenue Service, the Revenue Service also had two meetings with the company's representatives. However, SIA Internet refused to cooperate and did not pay the fines it was imposed.

The Revenue Service does not wish to shut down a successful business, and hopes that SIA Internet will eliminate shortcomings and begin to cooperate with the Revenue Service, Karklina-Admine added. If not, the case will go to court.