What if the government ministers have laid down their pencils and have heavily promoting Nea Dimocratia and PASOK for the upcoming elections? The tax collection mechanism still works full speed ahead and the General Secretary of Public Revenues keeps issuing the one circular after the other, as if they was no tomorrow.
For example, one of the circulars refers to taxation of the free lancers (the so-called “blokakia”) who can register their home as “office” and avoid being taxed with 26% from the very first euro. If they register their home as office, they will be taxed as “employees”, enjoy tax-free annual income of 9,550 euro and get taxed with 22%. Deadline is February 20/2015.
Another circular has to do with controls on the Value Added Tax paid or not paid to real estate buildings between 2008-2013.
However, no circular has been issued about tax returns that were supposed to be returned already in September 2014!
Πότε θα πάρουμε την επιστροφή φόρου που μας κρατάει η εφορία όσοι ΔΕΝ ΧΡΩΣΤΑΜΕ σε ταμεία, ΕΝΦΙΑ κλπ ; #ekloges2015 pic.twitter.com/GNboux4oOr
— Ioanna Iliadi (@ioann_A) January 15, 2015
English: when will we get our money back, all of us who do not have tax debts?
Taxpayers struggle to get their money back, but the tax offices and the General Secretary whistle in another wind direction… in the direction of tax collection.
I personally know people with very low income who depend on the tax returns to cover basic needs like paying rent and utility bills. Rumors claim that there is an “unofficial” decision that tax offices do not pay back and try to delay the payments.
A friend of mine went to tax office to claim her 600 euro tax return in November. She was forced to pay in advance the property tax (ENFIA) installment of December and January in order to get tax clearance and 400 euro.
Do you have similar experience with the tax return?