By G. Palaitsakis
[email protected]
Accumulated tax obligations by taxpayers over the last quarter of the year is the reason for a continued increase in such arrears, with total tax arrears in 2018 alone reaching 4.44 billion euros.
The last quarter of the year, especially after 2016’s “tax tsunami” unleashed by the Tsipras government, now coincides with the payment property tax installments and quarter VAT remittances.
Moreover, the absolute number of people owing money to the tax bureau – regardless of the amount – fell by an infinitesimal 0.1 percent in 2018, compared to 2017. More than four million taxpayers in the country continue to show arrears to the state. Nevertheless, 55 percent of these taxpayers owe an amount of up to 500 euros, while only 1 percent of the taxpayers with arrears owe more than 100,000 euros.
At the same time, the figure corresponding to taxpayers who owe between 500 to 10,000 euros continues to fall, but still reaches 38 percent of the total of debtors.
