Tax evasion

A very small percentage, often less than 10%, of fines imposed by the tax authorities are actually collected.

An Istanbul court has arrested an influencer, widely known in the country for her opulent and ostentatious lifestyle portrayed through her social media posts, on multiple charges encompassing money laundering and tax evasion through several beauty centers and other enterprises.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated on Sunday that the government is adamant against tax injustice and the tackling of tax evasion. In the weekly government report, Mitsotakis said that "the money from tax evasion will return to the society for a better health system, more education funding, more effective public security and defense, and greater support to new families."

An influencer, widely recognized in the country for her ostentatious and luxury lifestyle, has been detained following an investigation encompassing a series of allegations, including money laundering.

Greeks spend €40 billion more than they declare as income, Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras told the 19th annual Tax Forum of the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce Tuesday.

Calling for a comprehensive action plan to tackle burgeoning tax evasion, Greek Central Bank Governor Yannis Stournaras on Tuesday warned that the size of the shadow economy is estimated at nearly 21% of gross domestic product.

The new digital platform that allows citizens to file complaints regarding corruption and tax evasion went live on Monday via myaade.gov.gr.

Citizens can file complaints by name or anonymously by selecting one of the three categories, which are corruption, tax violations, or customs violations.

Greece's value-added tax gap narrowed to 3.231 billion euros in 2021 from €3.426 billion in 2020, the European Commission said in a report on Tuesday.

Brussels said Greece recorded a 3.2-percentage point decline in the VAT gap, to 17.8% in 2021 from 21% in the previous year.

The VAT gap in Greece declined by a further 3.2 percentage points in 2021 but still accounts for over €3 billion in lost revenue to the state, a European Commission report has found.

The tax administration is launching audits and cross-checking to establish the origin of 462 million euros spent on the all-cash purchase of more than 40,000 properties.