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The Epstein crisis hits escape velocity
The Epstein crisis hits escape velocity

Politico

time13 hours ago

  • Politics
  • Politico

The Epstein crisis hits escape velocity

Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco On today's Playbook Podcast, Adam Wren and Dasha Burns talk about the opportunity costs of delaying a vote on the Jeffrey Epstein files, how Dems are going to press the issue and what President Donald Trump finds most frustrating about all of this. Good Wednesday morning. It's Adam Wren. Get in touch. In today's Playbook … — An exclusive look at how Dems are preparing to press the Epstein issue during August recess. — As Washington obsesses over Epstein, Trump's agenda marches forward. — The GOP is souring on throwing further resources at the Virginia gubernatorial race, Jonathan Martin reports. DRIVING THE DAY ESCAPE VELOCITY: For the last 16 days, the Epstein saga has blotted out the sun inside Washington, the kind of evanescent Beltway fodder the White House insists won't break through outside of newsletters like this one. Now, with Speaker Mike Johnson adjourning House business this afternoon — last votes are scheduled for 3 p.m. — and canceling further action ahead of August recess in order to quash an effort to force a floor vote that would hasten the release of the Epstein files, the storyline is threatening to break out of the bubble and follow congressional Republicans back to their districts — nudged along by gleeful Democrats, who are 'plotting how to capitalize' on it all, as a team of our colleagues report, and have finally 'found their mojo,' as POLITICO Capitol Bureau Chief Rachael Bade writes this morning. In short: We're about to find out what kind of legs the Epstein issue truly has. But there's another thing to consider: There's a substantial opportunity cost to the GOP leadership's gambit. With a discharge petition ripening in the House when members return in September, the Epstein storyline promises to eclipse everything else in the Washington news cycle for many more days to come. Back home in their districts, Republican members may well see the issue burn up any oxygen they might otherwise use to sell their perceived wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill. 'The best hope of getting OBBB to break through is having Trump hammer it home,' one prominent Republican strategist who has worked on Senate races tells Playbook. 'So anything that knocks him off of that message and steers the conversation to things that divide Rs and force members onto the defensive is a hindrance.' Expect tense town halls and in-district dynamics for members. 'I don't suppose that this is the number-one issue for voters in America by any stretch, but it may be the number-one issue for the loudest voters,' Brendan Buck, the former top adviser to Republican Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan, tells Playbook. 'It's very clear that there are going to be a lot of people asking a lot of questions over recess when they get back home.' First in Playbook — We have some fresh details on what to expect … 1. The oppo files: American Bridge 21st Century President Pat Dennis tells Playbook the organization now has a dozen trackers they plan to deploy over recess and that they are recruiting more volunteers as they plan to press members on Epstein. 'They're going to hear about it from their constituents,' Dennis tells Playbook. 'We're going to be there to record it.' 2. How Dems are going to talk about it: At a 9 a.m. whip meeting this morning — their last one before recess — House Democrats will receive some direction from leadership about how to make the most of the issue. Some talking points, according to a messaging document obtained by Playbook: 3. Beyond the talking points: Democratic leadership is urging members to use official paid communication to get the word out about the issue. One email template reads: 'House Republicans voted to effectively block a debate on whether or not the Department of Justice should release the Epstein files. Congress must pursue the truth. No one in the government should be trying to keep the facts on these child predators hidden.' The joy ride: 'It should be very clear that Democrats are having a very good time with this at Republicans' expense,' Buck tells us. 'And Republicans don't seem to quite appreciate that, and are kind of letting themselves be taken for a ride.' One House Democratic aide tells Playbook that members' messaging priorities over the recess will not exclusively center on Epstein, but will also focus on affordability. In that sense, there's a potentially huge opportunity cost for Democrats, too: Any time they spend talking about Epstein is time not spent talking about, say, cuts to Medicaid in the Republican megalaw, which is likely to be more salient with voters in 2026. But the drip-drip of stories isn't stopping. The latest and most interesting revelations came from CNN's Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck, who filled in some of the blank spaces in the historical record of Trump and Epstein's relationship, scouring archives and yielding photos from 1993 that 'confirm for the first time that Epstein attended Trump's 1993 wedding to Marla Maples,' they write. They also found footage from a 1999 Victoria's Secret fashion event in New York that 'shows Trump and Epstein laughing and chatting together ahead of the runway event,' and photos from 2000 showing Trump, Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew at a charity fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. What does Trump think of it all? He had a brief interaction on the phone with Kaczynski. 'You've got to be kidding me,' the president said before repeatedly calling CNN 'fake news' and hanging up. He could have more to say today, though there aren't natural set pieces for him to respond. At the Mellon Auditorium at 5 p.m., he's signing executive orders and speaking at an AI summit connected to David Sacks and the 'All In' podcast crew. Back at the White House, expect Epstein-related questions to dominate the 1 p.m. briefing by press secretary Karoline Leavitt. COUNTDOWN TO RECESS WILL THE SENATE STAY?: Senate Majority Leader John Thune hasn't canceled recess outright like Trump wanted, but he told senators in a closed-door lunch yesterday to hold off on making any plans for next weekend, Axios' Stef Kight and Hans Nichols report. It's looking more possible that votes on Trump nominees will bleed into August, though for how long is unclear. (If no one else, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) is fine with it.) BIG THINGS ON THE AGENDA: Yesterday, the Senate cleared its first hurdle toward passing a government funding bill, voting 90-8 to advance a procedural motion on a bill that would in part fund the VA and some military projects. But the show of bipartisanship may not keep until September, POLITICO's Jennifer Scholtes and colleagues report. 'Nothing is guaranteed,' Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after yesterday's vote. What's the plan?: 'Schumer is trying to hone the Democratic government funding strategy after caving to Republicans' strong-arm tactics in March,' Jennifer and colleagues write. '[There] are competing factions split over how hard the party should fight against even bipartisan funding bills in the wake of Republicans green-lighting Trump's $9 billion funding clawbacks package.' The factions: Some Democrats want to make the bipartisan appropriations process work and avoid that all-or-nothing scenario come September, as Semafor's Burgess Everett reported last night. Others want to make sure that there won't be any more rescissions. 'Why would anyone trust the Republicans at this point?' Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) told Axios' Hans Nichols and Stephen Neukam. Right on time … Rescissions, part two: The White House is planning a second rescissions package to send over to Congress, which will include cuts to the Department of Education, The Daily Signal's Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell scooped. 'We've got a number of items we're looking at also, obviously talking to the senators too,' White House deputy chief of staff James Blair said. 'You'll obviously see that very soon.' Before all of that: The Senate narrowly advanced a procedural motion yesterday on Emil Bove's bid to serve on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs reports. His confirmation is still facing resistance, with Susan Collins (R-Maine) saying yesterday she will vote no, per NBC's Frank Thorp. Also running into some trouble: Paul Ingrassia, who's nominated to serve in the Office of the Special Counsel. His hearing is on Thursday, but Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is already a no. 'It's January 6th, it's a number of other things,' Tillis told NBC. 'I think he's one of these people that's checked all the boxes and they're all the wrong boxes.' THE MAGA REVOLUTION FULL STEAM AHEAD: Even as the Epstein ordeal soaks up much of Washington's attention, Trump's policy and political agenda is advancing on multiple fronts. TRADING PLACES: New details on trade agreements with Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia were announced yesterday. In the 'largest trade deal,' Trump set Japan's tariffs at 15 percent, down from 25 percent, and said Japan will invest $550 billion in the U.S. plus opening to trade cars and rice, WSJ's Gavin Bade and Megumi Fujikawa report. … The Philippines will also get a 19 percent tariff, Trump announced yesterday after his meeting with President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr., though the final terms have yet to be confirmed, POLITICO's Ari Hawkins and Phelim Kine write. … The U.S. will maintain a 19 percent tariff on Indonesian goods, and the Indonesian government agreed to drop some of its restrictions to buy American oil, gas, airplanes and agricultural products, per NYT's Ana Swanson. Coming attractions: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he'll be talking with his Chinese counterparts in Sweden next week, the third round of trade talks which may extend the trade truce past Aug. 12, Bloomberg's Daniel Flatley reports. He said trade with China is in a 'very good place,' and Trump also said yesterday that his own visit to the nation could happen 'in the not too distant future.' How it's playing: The S&P 500 reached a new high yesterday buoyed by Bessent's China announcement, per WSJ's Alexander Osipovich. But with tariffs looming to take effect in a little over a week, concerns about inflation are growing: Goldman Sachs is getting worried about the economy, CNBC's Jeff Cox writes, and suggested inflation may hit 3.3 percent this year. VS. THE JUDICIARY: With the expiration yesterday of Alina Habba's 120-day term as interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, a panel of federal judges moved to appoint Desiree Leigh Grace as the new top U.S. attorney. But hours later, AG Pam Bondi took to X to blast the panel of 'rogue judges' and announce that the DOJ had fired Grace. NYT's Tracey Tully and Jonah Bromwich have the full readout. It has the makings of the next big Trump legal fight over the judiciary, even though the place of courts in filling U.S. attorney roles until Senate confirmation has been upheld by Congress before, POLITICO's Kyle Cheney notes on X. VS. THE MEDIA: By now, it's well known that Paramount decided to cough up $16 million to Trump in a settlement over his lawsuit stemming from former Vice President Kamala Harris' '60 Minutes' interview. But yesterday, Trump announced that Skydance Media — the company in the process of merging with Paramount, and which is awaiting FCC approval of the pending deal — will give him an extra $20 million worth of advertising, WSJ's Joe Flint reports. VS. CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS: House Republicans are using the appropriations process to attempt to rename the Opera House at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after first lady Melania Trump, NYT's Michaela Towfighi and Robin Pogrebin write. VS. HIGHER EDUCATION: The Education Department paused a student loan forgiveness program — Income-Based Repayment, which includes about 2 million borrowers — with little notice yesterday, and did not say if or when the program would resume, WaPo's Danielle Douglas-Gabriel reports. … The next Virginia university figure on the Trump administration's target list is George Mason University President Gregory Washington, who had previously thrown his support behind DEI programming, NYT's Stephanie Saul writes. VS. EXISTING CONGRESSIONAL MAPS: New Democratic polling found 63 percent of likely voters in Texas think the state's Trump-backed mid-cycle redistricting plan is unnecessary, with 53 percent saying they believe the Texas Legislature is prioritizing the new map over flood disaster relief, POLITICO's Andrew Howard scooped. … But the White House's push for new, even more GOP-friendly maps doesn't stop at the Lone Star State: it's also backing a growing effort in Missouri to create a new map that could give Republicans seven of the state's eight House seats, Punchbowl's Ally Mutnick and Jake Sherman report. BEST OF THE REST FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — GOP sours on Virginia: The Republican Party is not looking to throw more money at what they increasingly see as a losing campaign by Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin, our colleague Jonathan Martin reports this morning. 'The convergence of paltry fundraising, weak polling and a candidate seen as incapable of fixing either has some in the RGA's orbit unenthused, I'm told, about giving much more than the $500,000 the group has already contributed to Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears … And while Sears and Trump met privately earlier this year in the White House, the president has yet to embrace her candidacy, a non-endorsement that stems from her criticism of him between his two terms.' TRAIL MIX: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), who's been mulling a gubernatorial run in New York, will be making an 'important announcement' at 7:40 a.m. on Fox & Friends. … Evan Hutchison is fundraising for a primary challenge against Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), per POLITICO's Jeff Coltin. ... Kevin Lincoln is making another run for California's 9th district, setting up a potential rematch between him and Rep. Josh Harder (D-Calif.), who narrowly beat him last year, Roll Call's Daniela Altimari reports. MEANWHILE IN GAZA: Special envoy Steve Witkoff is again traveling to the Middle East with 'strong hope' of getting a ceasefire deal and establishing a new humanitarian corridor for aid in Gaza, AP's Farnoush Amiri and Michelle Price report. The State Department did not provide more details on when and where Witkoff is going. But it comes as food distribution has found itself at the center of negotiations on peace talks, with both sides disputing who will control the aid distribution sites, WSJ's Summer Said and colleagues write. Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse said yesterday that 'without immediate intervention,' their reporters in Gaza will die of starvation and dehydration, per AP's David Bauder. FOR YOUR RADAR: 'The Forest Service Claims It's Fully Staffed for a Worsening Fire Season. Data Shows Thousands of Unfilled Jobs,' by ProPublica's Abe Streep TALK OF THE TOWN JD Vance led a big-dollar fundraising dinner last night in Nantucket, bringing in $3 million in donations for the GOP, per the NY Post. Beto O'Rourke said he regrets not going negative against Ted Cruz. Gabe Evans reportedly mischaracterized how his immigrant family arrived in the U.S. Previously touting that his grandfather came 'the legal way,' INS records reveal his family arrived illegally and lived undocumented in Texas for over a decade. THE AFTER-PARTY: Today, Trump will deliver the keynote address at the 'Winning the AI Race' summit, hosted by the All-In Podcast and the Hill & Valley Forum. But really, the summit will be the starter course to a meaty late night: the exclusive afterparty at Ned's Club, which will be 'a who's who of Silicon Valley's AI and tech elite,' our West Wing Playbook colleagues scooped yesterday. READING CORNER: There's a new Trump book slump, writes our colleague Daniel Lippman. Nonfiction book sales on the whole are down, and it's much lower compared to the sales from Trump's first term. 'The days of just writing a book to write a book and checking the box for someone's career — those days are over,' a book agent told Daniel. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION: 'Trump's Effort to Quash DC's NFL Team Has Some Lefties Celebrating,' the latest column from POLITICO's Michael Schaffer: '[Adam] Eidinger said, Trump's culture-war intrusion could upend the deal by prompting a distracting debate — thus giving his group time to get the no-stadium initiative in place. 'Anything that slows it down is good,' Eidinger told me, who opposes the stadium because he thinks the land should be used to build housing and cut into D.C.'s soaring cost of living. 'I never thought I'd be happy about him doing something toxic and racist.'' SPOTTED at Vice President JD Vance's ritzy fundraiser in Nantucket last night: Michael Minogue, Stefan Passantino, Colin Greenspoon, Henry Howard, Kristan Nevins, Ozzie Palermo, James Pallotta and David Urban. MEDIA MOVES — Amanda Friedman is now a health care reporter at POLITICO. She previously was a breaking news intern. … Karen Tumulty is now chief political correspondent at WaPo. She previously was one of the paper's opinion columnists. … Perry Bacon Jr. is joining The New Republic as a staff writer. He previously was an opinion columnist at WaPo. TRANSITIONS — Cecili Wake, Anna Dardick, Melody Mohebi and Ade Salami have joined Democracy 2076. Wake, now the group's deputy director, was previously a strategy consultant at NTI. Dardick, now program director of A Constitution for 2076, was previously a campaign strategist at the ACLU. Mohebi, now program director of Imagining 2076, was previously the director of social impact, measurement and insights at Participant Media. Salami, now program director of Pro-Democracy Political Coalitions in 2076, was previously a senior policy aide for the City of Minneapolis. … David Johnson is now a partner at Holtzman Vogel. He previously was policy director and general counsel at the Republican Attorneys General Association. … Mary Springer Sforza is now SVP of government relations for Rolls-Royce. She previously was director of legislative affairs at Lockheed Martin. … Ash Jain is now a senior fellow with the House Select Committee on China Strategic Competition. He previously was a senior policy adviser at the Department of Homeland Security. ENGAGED — Robby Soave, a senior editor at Reason magazine and host of The Hill's morning news show Rising, and Jie Jung Shih, a medical student at Georgetown University, got engaged on July 2 in Taormina, Sicily. They first made eye contact at a bar on U Street and connected on social media, and it was love at first sight. Pic … Another pic WEEKEND WEDDING — Anais Carmona, director of congressional affairs at Microsoft, and Antonin Picou, CEO of PastryStar, got married this weekend at the National Cathedral in Mexico City. Pic … SPOTTED: Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Carlos Sanchez, Ingrid Duran, Cathrine Pino, Lena Hernandez, Candy Citron, Roberto Fierro, Angela Arboleda, Norberto Salinas, Gisel Aceves, Mayra Macias, Daniela Fernandez, Marian Martin, Lisa Strikowsky Gillman, Tomas Kloosterman, Mariafernanda Zacarias and Raegan McDonald-Mosley. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) … POLITICO's Lisa Kashinsky and Jake Traylor … Stephanie Grisham … DOT's Aaron Moore … Fritz Brogan of the Mission Group … Melissa Braid … Dean Aguillen of OGR … David Brock … Matt Jeanneret of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association … Mary Crane of Targeted Victory … Will Mesinger of West End Strategy Team … Reuters' Erin Banco … Judy Lichtman … FGS Global's Craig James and Josh Gross … Edelman's Courtney Gray Haupt … Tracie Pough … former Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) … Gabriel Barnett … Jane Rayburn of Workbench Strategy … Newsmax's Jon Glasgow … Monica Venzke of American Bridge 21st Century … State's Kenya James … Monica Lewinsky … former Justice Anthony Kennedy … Eric Werwa … URAC's Shawn Griffin Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy editor Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.

Trump admin released FBI records on MLK Jr. despite his family's opposition
Trump admin released FBI records on MLK Jr. despite his family's opposition

India Today

time2 days ago

  • Politics
  • India Today

Trump admin released FBI records on MLK Jr. despite his family's opposition

The Trump administration has released over 240,000 pages of FBI surveillance records on civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., despite opposition from his family and the civil rights organisation he once led before his assassination in files, held under court-imposed seal since 1977, were turned over to the National Archives by the FBI after King's 1968 assassination. The documents offer a sprawling account of the Bureau's aggressive surveillance of King, including attempts to discredit and undermine him during his leadership of the civil rights release, authorised by President Donald Trump as part of a broader executive order declassifying documents related to high-profile political assassinations, has drawn sharp emotional responses from King's family. His children, Martin Luther King III and Dr. Bernice King, acknowledged public interest in the files but urged Americans to approach the revelations with care. 'We ask those who engage with the release of these files to do so with empathy, restraint, and respect for our family's continuing grief,' they wrote in a joint statement released Monday. 'These files must be viewed within their full historical context.'The siblings described their father's assassination as a 'devastating loss' that has cast a long emotional shadow.'His tragic death has been an intensely personal grief -- a devastating loss for his wife, children, and the granddaughter he never met -- an absence our family has endured for over 57 years.' Bernice King was five years old when her father was killed. Martin III was promised as a candidate to release files related to President John F. Kennedy's 1963 assassination. When Trump took office in January, he signed an executive order to declassify the JFK records, along with those associated with Robert F. Kennedy's and King's 1968 assassinations. The JFK files were released in March, and a portion of the RFK files followed in April.- EndsWith inputs from Associated PressTune InMust Watch

First half of 2025: 336,999 Pakistanis went abroad for employment: ministry
First half of 2025: 336,999 Pakistanis went abroad for employment: ministry

Business Recorder

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Business Recorder

First half of 2025: 336,999 Pakistanis went abroad for employment: ministry

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has preceded around 336,999 Pakistanis abroad for employment from January 1 to June 30, through the Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment (BIOE). The number of foreign job seekers is also increasing day by day due to the productive policies of the country as new ways of jobs opening for skilled and unskilled Pakistani workers. An official source of BIOE told APP on Sunday that since inception of the Bureau in the year 1971; more than 10 million emigrants have been provided overseas employment duly registered with the Bureau. To a question, he said that during the year 2015, the highest number of Pakistanis (946,571) proceeded abroad for the purpose of employment. He said that so far, 116,300 foreign jobs were available with BIOE Overseas employment was playing a vital role in reducing the pressure of unemployment at home, besides being a major means of earning foreign exchange in the shape of overseas workers' remittances. The Board is thus serving as the mainstay for the national economy, by providing much-needed financial outlay for debt servicing, import bills, alleviation of poverty, development projects and economic activities. The Bureau, being a regulatory body, controls, regulates, facilitates and monitors the emigration process followed by the Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs), in the private sector, besides 'direct employment, the mode adopted by the individuals, to seek foreign employment either through their own efforts or relatives and friends living abroad. The foremost task of Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment encompass collection, compilation and tabulation of emigration data of all those Pakistanis who proceed abroad for employment purpose. In fact, the Bureau has been engaged in maintaining comprehensive statistical record of all the migrant workers since 1971, which provides basis for planning and policy formulation by the Economic Division and other interested government departments. He said that the main function of this body was to control and regulate emigration under the Emigration Ordinance, 1979 and promote Emigration of Pakistani Citizens. It was the function of the Bureau to look after the interest and welfare of the emigrants and advise the Federal Government on emigration policies and procedures, Monitoring and supervision of Overseas Employment Promoters through 7 Protectorates of Emigrants Offices, Processing of Overseas Employment Promoters (OEP) Licences Pre-departure briefing to Emigrants. Mandatory Insurance coverage to Pakistanis workers abroad and Memorandum of Understating with Foreign Countries for Export of Manpower and Management of State Life Emigrants Insurance Fund (SLEIF).

Bahrain's Revenue Bureau Uncovers 71 VAT Violations in Six Months
Bahrain's Revenue Bureau Uncovers 71 VAT Violations in Six Months

Daily Tribune

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Daily Tribune

Bahrain's Revenue Bureau Uncovers 71 VAT Violations in Six Months

The National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) carried out 724 inspection visits across local markets in Bahrain during the first half of 2025, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen compliance with Value Added Tax (VAT) and Excise Tax regulations. In a statement, the NBR said these visits aim to protect consumer rights, combat tax evasion, and ensure that businesses apply VAT and excise rules properly. As a result of the inspections, the Bureau recorded 71 violations related to VAT laws, leading to administrative fines. The most common offense was the failure to comply with VAT invoicing requirements. Other violations included: Displaying prices without including VAT Not showing a valid VAT registration certificate Not issuing VAT invoices Issuing VAT invoices for goods or services that are not subject to VAT In terms of excise tax enforcement, the NBR identified 8 violations for possessing excise goods without paying the required tax. Legal actions and penalties were applied accordingly. Additionally, the inspections uncovered 8 suspected cases of VAT and excise tax evasion. Legal procedures are currently underway. The penalties for VAT evasion can include up to five years in prison and fines up to three times the evaded amount. For excise tax evasion, penalties can reach one year in prison and fines double the unpaid tax. The NBR emphasized the importance of complying with tax regulations and urged the public to report any violations. Reports can be made 24/7 via the call center (80008001), the Tawasul national complaints system, or by visiting the NBR's official website for more information.

Bahrain's Revenue Bureau Uncovers 71 VAT Violations In Six Months
Bahrain's Revenue Bureau Uncovers 71 VAT Violations In Six Months

Gulf Insider

time3 days ago

  • Business
  • Gulf Insider

Bahrain's Revenue Bureau Uncovers 71 VAT Violations In Six Months

The National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) carried out 724 inspection visits across local markets in Bahrain during the first half of 2025, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen compliance with Value Added Tax (VAT) and Excise Tax regulations. In a statement, the NBR said these visits aim to protect consumer rights, combat tax evasion, and ensure that businesses apply VAT and excise rules properly. As a result of the inspections, the Bureau recorded 71 violations related to VAT laws, leading to administrative fines. The most common offense was the failure to comply with VAT invoicing requirements. Other violations included: Displaying prices without including VAT Not showing a valid VAT registration certificate Not issuing VAT invoices Issuing VAT invoices for goods or services that are not subject to VAT In terms of excise tax enforcement, the NBR identified 8 violations for possessing excise goods without paying the required tax. Legal actions and penalties were applied accordingly. Additionally, the inspections uncovered 8 suspected cases of VAT and excise tax evasion. Legal procedures are currently underway. The penalties for VAT evasion can include up to five years in prison and fines up to three times the evaded amount. For excise tax evasion, penalties can reach one year in prison and fines double the unpaid tax. The NBR emphasized the importance of complying with tax regulations and urged the public to report any violations. Reports can be made 24/7 via the call center (80008001), the Tawasul national complaints system, or by visiting the NBR's official website for more information.

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