Finally a good news! The Council of State ruled that the electricity cannot be cut if consumers fail to pay the emergency property tax through the power company bills.The Council of State ruled that this measure violates the Greek Constitution. The bad news is the the same body ruled that imposing the emergency property tax is not against the constitution because it is not a permanent tax but provisional one. However the Council of State reserved the right to re-examine the issue if the government turns this tax into a permanent one.
Greeks are asked to pay the emergency property tax , additionally to the regular property tax, until 2015.
The Council of State was forced to examine the compatibility of this tax with the Constitution after several lawyers associations appealed. The measure triggered a wave of protests and strong reactions.
Some households were forced to cut even on food, in order to avoid power cuts, as a punishment for not paying the bill.
Now the Greek government has to find other ways to collect this tax. For the current year, it had decided to deduct the emergency property tax installments form wages and pensions. However this applies only to employees and pensioners.
See more on emergency property tax here
I don’t understand the emergency property tax (in addition to the regular tax.) It’s a clear rort, an example of a shoddy system. Currently with the way unemployment is, I don’t see how Greece can collect sufficient tax.
it won’t!
Many of the appeals are dismissed due to late applying . And many of the people do ignore this. i think that appealing is the best way to reduce you property tax bills.
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