Customs Saxony-Anhalt: 14.2 million euros in damages due to undeclared work!

Customs Saxony-Anhalt: 14.2 million euros in damages due to undeclared work!

Last week, the Magdeburg main customs office presented an impressive balance sheet for 2024. Led by Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil and President Dr. Armin Rolfink, the figures were presented on June 3, 2025 in Hamburg. The customs office was able to collect over 1.9 billion euros in taxes and customs duties and thus made a fantastic contribution to the state treasury. This income is necessary to overcome the diverse challenges in rural areas.

But tax revenue wasn't the only issue. A particularly shocking result is the damage caused by undeclared work, which totaled over 14.2 million euros last year. These figures also include the discovery of illegal employment relationships that massively endanger fair play on the labor market. Concrete measures to combat this problem are necessary. The Federal Customs Administration also emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to controlling undeclared work.

Seizures and controls

As part of the customs controls, almost 707,000 cigarettes, 670 kg of water pipe tobacco and around 390 kg of illegal fireworks were seized. In addition, 5,462 people and several vehicles were tested. Whether it's trucks, buses or even passenger trains - everyone took a close look. It turns out that border controls are an effective means of removing unauthorized goods from circulation and thus protecting the market. Over 199 criminal proceedings were initiated, which shows that the main customs office is consistently taking action against violations of the law.

The main customs office may be based in Saxony-Anhalt, but its work benefits the entire federal territory. The 530 employees and 60 candidates are required to continue to meet the increasing challenges. There is definitely something there, and the coming years will show how well these challenges can be overcome.

Damage caused by undeclared work

The Financial Control of Undeclared Work (FKS) once again carried out numerous audits in 2024. It aims to ensure that employees are properly registered for social security, monitors the unlawful receipt of social benefits and checks compliance with minimum wages. The number of examinations and the associated administrative offense proceedings are continuously increasing, which underlines the need for these measures.

Undeclared work remains a serious problem in Germany. Current statistics show that the damage caused by illegal work always causes large sums of money that affect the welfare state. Preventive work and education play a crucial role here.

A look back at the work of customs in 2024 shows that the bureaucracy does not sleep and is constantly looking for new ways to combat illegal activities. The various fields of activity of the main customs office cover a wide spectrum, from collecting taxes to combating undeclared work or illegal business models. A good hand is particularly evident in the effective verification of employers.

The balance sheet of the main customs office is a clear signal: customs is active, vigilant and ready to stand up to unfair practices. Combating undeclared work will remain a central concern for the coming years, affecting both employers and employees in the same way.