Topic 07 · Tax collection

How much money owed to the state never reaches the budget?

The difference between the VAT that should be collected and what is actually collected is measured yearly by the European Commission. We compare Romania with the rest of the EU and with what countries that narrowed this gap did.

Analyses

5 min · updated 15 October 2026Romania, last in the EU at collecting VAT: a 30% gapFor every 10 lei of VAT that should be collected under the law, the Romanian state does not see 3. It is the largest gap in the European Union, more than three times the EU average.