Arrears to the state were up by 1.3 billion euros at the end of 2019, compared to the same month in 2018, with the total at a stratospheric 105.6 billion euros.
The hike in the figure is noteworthy, not necessarily the total, as dozens of billions of euros are accumulated arrears dating back decades, often owned by businesses now longer in operation and individual taxpayers that are economically inactive or even no longer alive.
According to the independent authority for public assets, 84.1 billion euros of the arrears are active demanded by the state, with the remainder considered as uncollectible.
The figure includes arrears owed to the social insurance funds, also going back decades.
An installment plan for covering arrears affects 6.5 billion euros owned to the tax service, and 11 billion euros owed to funds.
More than four million taxpayers registered in Greece have arrears to the tax bureau, ranging from a few euros to millions in debt.
