By Chrysostomos Tsoufis

After about 2 weeks – justified – delay, the time has come for the tax regulations “owed” to the Ministry of Finance to make their way to the Parliament. Until late last night, the information said that today brings together the most chances of their filing. Most of them have already been announced, no special surprises are expected, but they will strengthen many households and businesses. Among the measures are:

REVIVAL OF DEBT SETTLEMENTS : The measure concerns the revival of the arrangements of 72 or 120 installments for debtors who lost them during the pandemic from November 1, 2021 onwards. Only obligations:

The payment by July 31 of 2 installments – the current one and an additional one –

The arrangement of any additional debts in the fixed arrangement of 24 or 48 installments.

It goes without saying that those who did not bother to settle their debts before November 2021 in any of the offered arrangements are excluded from the revival.

REWARD OF CONTINUOUS DEBTORS: For the first time there is provision for consistent borrowers until the pandemic. They can include the debts they created after November 1st in a new arrangement of 36 or 72 installments with a minimum installment of €30. Any debts regulated in the fixed settlement can also be included in these.

FINE FOR LATE TAX RETURN: The fine of €100 for the late submission of a tax return is abolished as long as it is for credit, zero or for declarations from which a tax of up to €100 arises. The regulation concerns only natural persons, the fines are reserved for businesses and self-employed professionals, €250 if they keep simple books and €500 for double books. The repeal will even be retroactive covering those who have appealed to the administrative courts or the dispute resolution department.

ONE TIME PAYMENT OF TAX: A 3% discount is introduced for those who pay the income tax in one time.

TRAFFIC FEES BY MONTH: The opening of the platform is being hastened with the aim of allowing those who have deposited the license plates, to get them back before Easter and thus have…celebrations in the village. If someone e.g. declared in April that he wishes to activate the I.X. of for 3 months will pay 3/12 of the traffic fees. If the same owner returns the plates after the 3 months have passed then he will pay double the total of the registration fees.

EXTENSION OF REDUCED VAT: Until the end of the year a rate of 13% will continue to be enjoyed by passenger transport, catering, tourist package, non-alcoholic drinks, coffee as well as swimming pools, gyms and dance schools that are not exempt from VAT.

Also, 6% VAT will continue to apply to public health goods such as masks, gloves and antiseptics as well as cinema tickets.

AGRICULTURAL OIL : As the prime minister himself announced, approximately 320,000 professional farmers will be subsidized by the tax on the oil they use exclusively for their work. The measure was abolished in 2016, returned in 2022 and will be repeated again this year with an estimated fiscal cost of €80 million.