HÀ NỘI — Tax authorities will conduct thematic inspections of companies posting trillion-đồng revenues but reporting persistent losses, as part of efforts to curb tax evasion and improve transparency, a senior official said on Thursday.

Lê Long, deputy director of the General Department of Taxation under the Ministry of Finance, said more than 400 companies nationwide report annual revenues of at least VNĐ1 trillion (US$40 million) yet continue to post losses, based on recent data analysis.

While losses or thin profits may reflect high input costs, market volatility or long-term business strategies, some cases raise red flags, Long said.

Some businesses have reported losses for many consecutive years but are still expanding production and increasing investment capital, he said, adding that these are risk indicators that require thorough analysis and inspection to ensure the accuracy of tax declarations.

The tax authority has compiled a list of companies with revenues exceeding VNĐ1 trillion and losses for at least two consecutive years, which will be subject to targeted inspections in 2026, he noted.

Authorities are also strengthening risk-based tax management, increasing oversight of tax filings and warning firms of penalties for violations. Errors in declarations will be addressed early to prevent more serious breaches.

The move is aimed at tightening tax discipline, limiting transfer pricing and tax fraud, and ensuring a fair business environment, the official said.

Separately, Long said the use of dual accounting systems constitutes a serious legal violation and may indicate tax fraud or falsified financial reporting.

To address this, the tax department has required providers of e-invoicing and accounting software to submit customer data. As of April 7, authorities had received information from 42 providers covering nearly 13,000 businesses, organisations and household businesses, with data collection ongoing.

The tax authority plan to use big data and artificial intelligence tools to identify anomalies such as sharp revenue increases paired with falling profits or unusually low profit margins relative to industry averages.

It is also shifting from manual inspections to data-driven oversight to better detect sophisticated fraud. In cases showing clear signs of violations, authorities will coordinate with police for potential criminal prosecution, Long said. — VNS