Business Inspections in Georgia: A Complete Guide to Avoiding Fines and Risks in 2025/2026
1 July 2025
1. Introduction
Imagine: it’s a regular workday, your employees are busy with tasks, and suddenly, representatives from state authorities appear at your doorstep. All work comes to a halt. All eyes are on you. Are you ready for this? For many business leaders, such a scenario is a serious source of stress. A common belief — "if they find a violation, they’ll give us time to fix it" — is now an expensive illusion. Reality has changed. Relying on "maybe it won’t happen" has become too risky. This guide is not just an instruction manual. It is your strategic advantage. It equips you with knowledge about who can inspect your business, how, and for what reasons, and it provides a clear action plan so that any inspector visit feels like a planned, controlled procedure — not a crisis.
2. The New Inspection Reality: Three Risks You Can’t Ignore
Risk #1: Financial Knockout. When a fine exceeds your profit.
A key change is the speed and size of sanctions. Upon a customer complaint, the Competition and Consumer Protection Agency can impose a fine of up to 2% of your company’s annual turnover. This is not a warning — it is an immediate financial blow that can devalue months of hard work. In this case, there is simply no time "to fix it."
Risk #2: Business Paralysis. How a single complaint starts a chain reaction.
Problems rarely come alone. One complaint from a dismissed employee to the Labor Inspection Service can lead the Revenue Service to investigate your payroll taxes, and the Personal Data Protection Service to examine your data storage practices. The result? Multiple inspections at once, diverting resources, demotivating your team, and essentially paralyzing operations.
Risk #3: Complete Unpredictability. Why can an inspection begin tomorrow?
Forget about scheduled inspections you can prepare for. The vast majority of inspections are unscheduled and initiated based on a statement or complaint. The initiator can be anyone: a client, an employee, a competitor. This means an inspection can begin on any day. The only way to be ready tomorrow — is to be ready today.
A key change is the speed and size of sanctions. Upon a customer complaint, the Competition and Consumer Protection Agency can impose a fine of up to 2% of your company’s annual turnover. This is not a warning — it is an immediate financial blow that can devalue months of hard work. In this case, there is simply no time "to fix it."
Risk #2: Business Paralysis. How a single complaint starts a chain reaction.
Problems rarely come alone. One complaint from a dismissed employee to the Labor Inspection Service can lead the Revenue Service to investigate your payroll taxes, and the Personal Data Protection Service to examine your data storage practices. The result? Multiple inspections at once, diverting resources, demotivating your team, and essentially paralyzing operations.
Risk #3: Complete Unpredictability. Why can an inspection begin tomorrow?
Forget about scheduled inspections you can prepare for. The vast majority of inspections are unscheduled and initiated based on a statement or complaint. The initiator can be anyone: a client, an employee, a competitor. This means an inspection can begin on any day. The only way to be ready tomorrow — is to be ready today.
3. Risk Map: Dossier on 5 Key Inspectors
Dossier #1: Labor Inspection Service
- Who’s at risk? Any company with at least one employee.
- What do they focus on? Employment contracts, occupational safety standards, dismissal procedures, discrimination issues.
- Penalty size: Fine for violations related to discrimination or unlawful dismissal — 2,000 GEL. Obstructing an inspector — from 1,000 to 5,000 GEL. Failure to comply with an inspector’s order doubles the fine.
- What does it mean for you? Any labor conflict is not just an inconvenience — it’s a direct financial and reputational risk.
Dossier #2: Competition and Consumer Protection Agency
- Who’s at risk? Any B2C business: retail, e-commerce, restaurants, hotels, service sector.
- What do they focus on? Product/service information on websites and contracts, warranty and return conditions.
- Penalty size: Fine up to 2% of the company’s turnover for the previous fiscal year.
- What does it mean for you? A mistake in product description on your website or in a public offer can cost you several months' worth of profit.
Dossier #3: Personal Data Protection Service
- Who’s at risk? Virtually any business that stores customer or employee data.
- What do they focus on? Legal grounds for data processing (e.g., consent), existence of a Privacy Policy, security measures in place.
- Penalty size: Fines vary but can range from 1,000 to 10,000 GEL or more.
- What does it mean for you? Your client or employee database without proper legal coverage is not an asset — it’s a potential source of major fines.
Dossier #4: National Food Agency
- Who’s at risk? Food producers, restaurants, cafes, importers, and distributors.
- What do they focus on? HACCP system implementation, product traceability, labeling, and hygiene standards.
- Penalty size: In addition to fines (400/1,200 GEL), the agency has the authority to suspend your production or demand the withdrawal of an entire product batch from the market.
- What does it mean for you? The risk here is not just financial but operational — your business can be completely shut down for an indefinite period.
Dossier #5: Revenue Service
- Who’s at risk? All companies.
- What do they focus on? Correct tax payment, use of cash registers, invoice documentation, employee registration.
- Penalty size: Fines and penalties are calculated based on unpaid taxes and can reach significant amounts, potentially leading to account and asset seizures.
- What does it mean for you? Direct financial losses and the inability to make payments.
4. There is a Way Out: How to Turn Chaos into a Manageable Process
Yes, the law often allows time for corrections. But that doesn’t solve the main problems:
● Hidden losses: Fixing violations in emergency mode is always more expensive than systematic work.
● Resource drain: Your time and your top employees' time goes to firefighting rather than growth.
● Constant stress: Living in fear of the next inspection is a poor foundation for making strategic decisions.
The only way to regain control is to act proactively. Apreventive legal audit is not just about finding mistakes. It’s about building a protection system — your early warning system that detects and neutralizes risks before they become problems.
The modular approach we use at JUST Advisors allows you to focus resources precisely where they’re needed most. You can order a full audit or choose individual modules — for example, an HR Auditor a Personal Data Audit.
● Hidden losses: Fixing violations in emergency mode is always more expensive than systematic work.
● Resource drain: Your time and your top employees' time goes to firefighting rather than growth.
● Constant stress: Living in fear of the next inspection is a poor foundation for making strategic decisions.
The only way to regain control is to act proactively. Apreventive legal audit is not just about finding mistakes. It’s about building a protection system — your early warning system that detects and neutralizes risks before they become problems.
The modular approach we use at JUST Advisors allows you to focus resources precisely where they’re needed most. You can order a full audit or choose individual modules — for example, an HR Auditor a Personal Data Audit.
Ultimately, there are two scenarios: either you manage your legal risks, or one day, they start managing your business. Knowledge is not just power. In today’s environment, it’s money saved, time preserved, and nerves protected. A professional audit transforms an unpredictable threat into a controlled business process and gives you the most valuable thing — confidence in tomorrow.
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MARIA GUSEINOVA
Leading Manager of Commercial Department
Leading Manager of Commercial Department
