Income distribution

The gender pay gap varies significantly across EU Member States, the bloc's statistical office said on Thursday.

According to new Eurostat data, in 2013, women's gross hourly earnings were on average 16.4% below those of men in the 28 European Union member states and 16.6% in the 17 countries of the eurozone.

The pressure resulting from rising consumer prices has increased significantly on Turkey's lowest income group over the last six years, causing the gap between the country's rich and poor to reach record highs, according to an economy note issued by Bahçe?ehir University's Center for Economic and Social Research (BETAM) on March 2.

Prime Minister Victor Ponta told Antena 3 private broadcaster on Sunday evening that his Cabinet has not set to compete for announcements of a smaller Value-Added Tax (VAT), adding that the measures in the draft Tax Code were drawn up after a one-year activity and in consultation with experts, the World Bank as well as the business community represented by the Coalition for Romania's Developmen

The tax bureau will reportedly step up scrutiny of bank accounts in order to find hidden assets of wealthy depositors, an initiative that now appears as a pressing goal for the new Greek government, given its pledge towards EZ creditors to crack down on tax evasion and amid decreasing state revenues.

Minimum wages across the European Union highlight the vast economic differences across the member states with a ten-fold difference between Bulgaria and Luxembourg.

The American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce is organizing an expat tax seminar in Greece for Americans living abroad. The free seminar by an expert on expatriate tax issues provides an excellent opportunity for anyone interested in the unique tax filing and bank report obligations of United States citizens working or living abroad. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

 Ministers send conflicting signals over the adjustment of taxation policy to the pledges made to creditors

By Prokopis Hatzinikolaou

Adjusting to reality will be particularly difficult for the government, as in the next four months it will have to enforce measures which in many cases run counter to its pre-election pledges.

Food stamps for the needy and possibly instituting a minimum guaranteed income program across the country are just some of the measures the leftist SYRIZA government hopes to combat what it calls a “humanitarian crisis” in the recession-plagued country.

Greece has pledged to not roll back any ongoing or completed privatizations and ensure that any efforts to address a "humanitarian crisis" does not hurt its budget, according to a document containing its reform plans seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

 Fearing a backlash, the government is considering a discount for taxpayers who have paid their dues

By Prokopis Hatzinikolaou