The Finnish car dealership chain J. Rinta-Jouppi has confirmed that it acquired imported vehicles from companies currently being investigated by the Finnish customs authorities for a major tax fraud case. The customs department reported that it is probing a scheme in which over 3,500 used cars were imported from abroad while evading taxes, amounting to a staggering 115 million euros in total purchases, and more than 60 million euros in taxes avoided. The investigation raises important questions about compliance within the industry and tax obligations.

J. Rinta-Jouppi claims that the investigation concerns less than five percent of the cars it purchases annually, asserting that the company takes significant precautionary measures by checking the backgrounds of the businesses from which it buys imported vehicles. The company’s statement emphasizes its commitment to sourcing cars from established domestic players in the market, and it insists that these dealers have no alarming issues in their histories regarding taxation.

The reported fraudulent activities involve intermediary companies that buy vehicles from European auction platforms and then sell them to J. Rinta-Jouppi. This method of operation has drawn scrutiny as the Finnish customs seeks to resolve issues related to tax evasion in the automotive sector. The outcome of this investigation may have implications not only for J. Rinta-Jouppi but for the broader automotive industry in Finland, prompting further examination of practices that may lead to tax avoidance.