Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Hungary defends tax defaulter shame list at European rights court

Hungary defends tax defaulter shame list at European rights court

The Hungarian government regularly publishes a list of tax dodgers, including their names and home addresses.
Taxpayers who owe more than $30,000 in taxes are named and shamed by the Hungarian government, but one citizen says this practice violates his right to privacy.

Lawyers for L.B., as he is referred to in court documents, faced off against Hungarian officials at the European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday, arguing such tax shame lists aren’t an appropriate way to address unpaid taxes and only serve to humiliate citizens.

“It represents a modern-day scarlet letter,” lawyer Dániel Karsai told the grand chamber of the Strasbourg-based court, which was created in 1959 by the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty meant to protect the political and civil rights of Europeans.

L.B., a 55-year-old entrepreneur from the country’s capital Budapest, was listed on the website of Hungary's National Tax and Customs Board in 2016 after a dispute with his business partners left him in arrears. The Hungarian tax office publishes a quarterly list of “major tax defaulters,” anyone who owes the government more than 10 million Hungarian forints ($33,000) in back taxes. A month later, a Hungarian media outlet published an interactive map of tax debtors, including L.B., that included home addresses, information it obtained from the government’s list.

Hungary’s agent, Zoltán Tallódi, quoted repeatedly from the dictionary Wednesday as he denied that the list shamed anyone.

“You can hardly expect any legal system to make rule breakers feel comfortable with having done something wrong,” he told the 17-judge panel.

Hungary argues that the information offers insight into someone’s financial situation and is needed to protect the country’s economic well-being.

L.B.’s counsel disagrees, arguing Hungary failed to show the list is useful at preventing tax evasion. Instead, Karsai said, the list “only serves the public’s thirst for sensation.”

While publicizing the names is bad enough, Karsai said, making public their personal data is even worse. He contends that this system also violates the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, although the European Court of Human Rights has no authority to rule on that legislation.

The a lower chamber of the rights court already ruled in the case earlier this year, finding that Budapest had not violated the 55-year-old business owner’s right to privacy. The court found that L.B. had not suffered any personal repercussions as a result of the publication of the list and the information was in the general interest of the public.

L.B. appealed the decision to the court's grand chamber, which is expected to issue a ruling next year.

Hungary continues to report a list of tax dodgers. The latest version was published in October.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
×