Independent Authority

Tax Services are being enriched with new procedures, where taxpayers are now being served for their vehicles, according to a decision by the governor of the Independent Authority for Public Revenues, Giorgos Pitsilis.

The Ministry of Finance is looking at this year's income tax submissions to see what can be done to further automate the process.

Greece's Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis defended the introduction of the minimum presumptive income for freelance professionals and the self-employed based on which they were taxed for the first time this year, telling Kathimerini it is a "fair measure" toward salaried employees and pensioners who traditionally paid more tax. 

The Ministry of Finance and the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) plan greater discounts and the unlocking of bank accounts for those taxpayers who pay their taxes or their past debts on time or earlier.

The changes will affect income declarations filed next year.

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) is launching a digital “net” over properties, vehicles, and business activities next month with the activation of three new services.

Over 48,000 on-site audits revealed tax evasion of more than 20 million euros and resulted in fines of more than €1.34 million, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has said.

The tax authority also said that it applied sanctions in 628 cases: 490 businesses were ordered to close while in the remaining 138 cases fines were imposed.

Debtors to the state should have a reason to worry. Tax authorities are not only ready to pounce regarding existing debt, by freezing bank accounts and garnishing wages, but will also move against people with the potential not to pay their direct or indirect taxes.

For the first time this year, the average income tax paid by freelancers surpasses that of salaried employees, who (along with retirees) are usually the tax burden bearers.

A draft law that abolishes the Stamp Duty on more than 600 transactions and introduces a Digital Transaction Fee for transactions where the related charge remains, explicitly defined in the law, has been put up for public consultation until Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 11:00 PM.

The main changes include the following:

Analysis of the €123 Billion Debt

According to lists released by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) a few days ago, the debts of individuals and legal entities to the State and EFKA amount to €123 billion. These are debts from so-called major debtors, those who owe over €150,000 and whose payments are delayed by more than a year.