For almost 4 years, a businessman from Gabrovo has been suing the National Revenue Agency with a record claim for 1 billion leva, BNR reports. Martin Stefanov claims that he fell seriously ill as a result of harassment by inspectors, after his business was targeted and under constant inspections by the Agency. The case was returned by the Supreme Administrative Court to the Administrative Court in Gabrovo for a new hearing and another hearing is due. The plaintiff insists on being compensated in this shocking amount and declares that he will donate the entire amount.
The entrepreneur from Gabrovo, who requested an unprecedented amount of compensation from the National Revenue Agency, claims that due to the stress of numerous tax audits, his health has deteriorated to such an extent that his life was in danger. That is why four years ago he filed a claim under the State and Municipal Liability for Damages Act.
The man managed an international grain trading company based in Burgas. His business developed very successfully and in three years, from 2015 to 2017, the company reached a turnover of 10 million leva, says Martin Stefanov.
"I came into the sights of either competitors or people within the NRA institution itself. To this day, I do not owe taxes, I have never owed taxes, any kind of tax to the state. There were certain delays, which is normal in business, and they have been paid. I have 20 acts from the NRA, which I challenged with a lawyer in Burgas and were dropped, only two remain. I have written to absolutely all Bulgarian institutions - from the then director of the NRA to the ombudsman, to the president, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy - with two specific questions: what is happening to me? "
Stefanov did not receive an answer from any of the mentioned institutions. He was demotivated, gave up business, fell into a depressive state. Doctors diagnosed his heart disease - enlargement of the heart chambers, and then he heard another serious diagnosis - a rare type of cancer in an advanced stage. He went to Germany for treatment, and also received help from the Bulgarian Lymphoma Association. For four years he fought for his health, went through trials and complications, to the point that his life was in danger, the man testified.
Proving the causal link between the stress of the experiences and his illnesses is the responsibility of lawyer Desislava Koleva from Gabrovo. She has represented him since the moment Stefanov's activities were frozen and as an individual without income he has been exercising his right to free legal aid. The case before the Gabrovo Administrative Court ended after a year and a half, they appealed the decision. The Supreme Administrative Court found a number of procedural violations and returned the case for a new hearing by the Gabrovo Court, by a new panel, lawyer Koleva specified. According to her, the Supreme Administrative Court found that for the first year, Martin Stefanov's companies were under constant inspections for 9 months. The following year, the months were 5-6, and the following year – 4.
"Over 3 years, he was under continuous inspections for about 18 months."
The National Revenue Agency claims that the risk analysis is the reason for the inspections, since grain trade falls into this hypothesis due to possible fictitious transactions, the lawyer notes, awaiting a recent decision on the case, in which numerous expert reports have been made to clarify the causal relationship between stress and Martin Stefanov's deteriorating health. He himself says that he has been in remission for years, feels well and is returning to the grain trade industry. He continues to seek justice and insists that the requested compensation of 1 billion leva is due to him:
"We will win this case. The goal is not the money - I will donate it, it will remain in Bulgaria."