Taxation

The French-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFHEL) is organizing a round-table discussion in Athens, titled "Recent Developments in Issues of Corporate Taxation and Procedures," to take place on Wednesday, March 28.

The keynote speaker will be the head of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, Giorgos Pitsilis.

Nothing is more frustrating to Greek taxpayers than the conviction that all the money they pay the state ends up in a black hole.

Taxpayers have already started feeling the impact of the government's new austerity measures that came into force on January 1, with six new taxes set to eat into households' already diminished disposable incomes as of this month.

Taxpayers have paid taxes of almost 1 billion euros using credit cards this year, reflecting the growing difficulty people face in covering their living costs.

Overtaxation pushes economic activity underground and kills honest entrepreneurship, says the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), stressing that salary workers and pensioners have shouldered most of the burden in recent years while efforts to uncover undeclared taxable income and assets have failed.

The Finance Ministry is offering those who have concealed incomes from the state - evading the payment of taxes, levies and/or charges - one last chance to come clean regarding taxable revenues or assets from previous years.

Spending on rent, mortgage payments and utility bills will not count toward the sum of card or e-banking payments taxpayers have to reach to be eligible for a tax discount of 1,900-2,100 euros per year, according to Finance Ministry officials.

Only taxpayers who make payments by credit and debit card will be entitled to claim a tax-free threshold as of next year, according to a bill the Finance Ministry tabled in Parliament midnight on Monday. However, there will be an exception for pensioners, who will be gradually introduced to the obligatory use of cards for the tax discount.

Let me explain the "first conspiracy" in the simplest terms possible. It was the precursor of the greatest conspiracy in Turkey's recent history.   

Doğan Publishing Holding, at the end of 2006, sold 25 percent of Doğan TV's shares to Germany's Axel Springer for 375 million euros (nearly $500 million). The deal was signed on Dec. 26, 2006. 

Tax declarations under the Excise Duties and Tax Warehouses Act will be submitted online by businesses. The decision was adopted at second reading by Parliament. It is part of the amendments to the excise law.