Mediation process between ss.lv and State Revenue Service closed

RIGA – The mediation process between the Latvian State Revenue Service and ss.lv classified ads portal has been closed successfully, while there are still differences of opinions that will be solved in line with the law, said PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal (PwC Legal) who is the mediator in the dispute.

The agreement provides that Internet company, the holder of ss.lv portal, will renew its business operation and renew ss.lv domain name. Other restriction on business operation have also been lifted.

PwC Legal leading partner Janis Lagzdins said that this is a good result and launch of mediation processes in Latvia. He underscored that it is possible to achieve a solution if state institutions and companies are ready to cooperate.

ss.lv already has handed over some of the information required by the State Revenue Service in relation to advertisements placed in the portal, and the company has confirmed in writing to cooperate with the Revenue Service in the future and provide all the necessary information, the Revenue Service reported.

As reported, the State Revenue Service decided to halt operations of ss.lv, Latvia's largest classified advertisements website, as the portal refused to inform the revenue service about automobile dealers who had failed to register with the tax authority. The State 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 State Revenue Service’s head Ilze Cirule said in an interview with Latvian Television that used car dealers might have avoided paying up to EUR million in taxes by selling vehicles through ss.lv.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit firm together with PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal (PwC Legal) have been chosen to mediate a dispute between Latvia’s leading classified ads website ss.lv and the State Revenue Service.