Big prizes for lucky taxpayers

The tax lottery is evolving into a lucrative game of chance for taxpayers, as its overhaul means lucky winners could collect up to 100,000 euros, compared to just 1,000 euros today.

Sources say that the Finance Ministry is examining more than 10 scenarios aiming at collecting revenues in excess of 500 million euros this year from the online transactions measure.

A ministry official says that the government will bring a clause to Parliament within the next month with incentives for taxpayers to use their credit and debit cards for more of their transactions. The ministry's interest is focused on transactions with the professional groups at the top of the tax evasion list.

Among the scenarios under examination is increasing the sums handed out to each month's lucky taxpayers with one or possibly more winners pocketing 100,000 euros just by having made a card...