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So tax investigators studied satellite photos of the area — a sprawling collection of expensive villas tucked behind tall gates — and came back with a decidedly different number: 16,974 pools.
That kind of wholesale lying about assets, and other eye-popping cases that are surfacing in the news media here, points to the staggering breadth of tax dodging that has long been a way of life here.
Such evasion has played a significant role in Greece’s debt crisis, and as the country struggles to get its financial house in order, it is going after tax cheats as never before.
Various studies, including one by the Federation of Greek Industries last year, have estimated that the government may be losing as much as $30 billion a year to tax evasion — a figure that would have gone a long way to solving its debt problems.
From July 1, 2010 VAT in Greece is 23%%, compared to the previous 21% rate.
There is a reduced rate of 13% that applies, in the main, to food, medicines. The V.A.T rate for hotel accommodation, books and newspapers is 6.5%.
In specific areas in Greece, there is a reduction on the above rate of VAT.
VAT is charged on assets and services provided in Greece as well as on imports into Greece.
In many cases, exports are not subject to value added tax. Similarly insurance services, educational services, legal services, medical services and more are exempt from VAT.
The threshold for VAT registration is an annual turnover of EUR 10,000.
From July 1, 2010 VAT in Greece is 23%%, compared to the previous 21% rate.
There is a reduced rate of 13% that applies, in the main, to food, medicines. The V.A.T rate for hotel accommodation, books and newspapers is 6.5%.
In specific areas in Greece, there is a reduction on the above rate of VAT.
VAT is charged on assets and services provided in Greece as well as on imports into Greece.
In many cases, exports are not subject to value added tax. Similarly insurance services, educational services, legal services, medical services and more are exempt from VAT.
The threshold for VAT registration is an annual turnover of EUR 10,000.
The Times reports, “When tax authorities recently surveyed the returns of 150 doctors with offices in the trendy Athens neighborhood of Kolonaki, where Prada and Chanel stores can be found, more than half had claimed an income of less than $40,000. Thirty-four of them claimed less than $13,300, a figure that exempted them from paying any taxes at all.” Well, what do you know.
“Some of the most aggressive tax evaders, experts say, are the self-employed, a huge pool of people in this country of small businesses,” writes Suzanne Daley. “It includes not just taxi drivers, restaurant owners and electricians, but engineers, architects, lawyers and doctors.” One wonders if it has anything to do with:
So tax investigators studied satellite photos of the area — a sprawling collection of expensive villas tucked behind tall gates — and came back with a decidedly different number: 16,974 pools.
That kind of wholesale lying about assets, and other eye-popping cases that are surfacing in the news media here, points to the staggering breadth of tax dodging that has long been a way of life here.
Such evasion has played a significant role in Greece’s debt crisis, and as the country struggles to get its financial house in order, it is going after tax cheats as never before.
Various studies, including one by the Federation of Greek Industries last year, have estimated that the government may be losing as much as $30 billion a year to tax evasion — a figure that would have gone a long way to solving its debt problems.
Not seeing your '90%' figure here.
Btw, weren't you on another thread claiming that only people who live in california should be commenting on issues involving that state? And do your comments here imply that you are in fact a greek citizen?
The workers at the electric companies do not like the idea of being privatized so they cut power. The public workers DO NOT want to be privatized.
Folks need to follow what is going on here.
Power cuts hit Greece as protests grow - Yahoo! Finance (http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Power-cuts-hit-Greece-as-apf-386729946.html?x=0 - broken link)
"Greece was hit by rolling blackouts Monday as employees at the main power utility began 48-hour rolling strikes to protest the company's privatization, part of austerity plans needed to avoid a national debt default."
Do they not teach economics 101 in the Greek schools? They are dooming themselves and yet refuse to change. Won't pay taxes yet expect their publicly funded jobs to continue? "Derp da durr."
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