In over 600 million euros are estimated tax revenues from platforms such as AirBnB and Booking, as the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance emphasized on Tuesday, Haris Theocharis, referring to the progress of the Greek State in combating tax evasion, particularly from digital platforms for sharing and providing services via the internet.

As Mr. Theoharis pointed out, “we started with revenues of 50 million euros from platforms like Booking, AirBnB, etc., and now we have exceeded 500 million. In other words, we have now reached ten times higher. I have the feeling – we will confirm it when the tax returns are completed – that for 2022 we will exceed 600 million euros”.

In the context of the debate in the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the Parliament, on the new draft law of the Ministry of Finance and the incorporation of Directive (EU) 2021/514 on cooperation in the field of taxation, Mr. Theocharis said, among other things, “the data regarding the effectiveness of the measures implemented by the government and reinforced by the new bill is sufficient. No further study needed. In fact, the Directive 2021/514 that we are asked to vote on, is also the result of our own actions. Because, since the previous four years, as the government of the New Democracy, we had already managed to convince the sharing platforms to cooperate with AADE and give us data. We forced them to comply, on pain of leaving Greece. That’s why they complied.”

In addition, the Deputy Minister of Finance emphasized that “we estimate that 90% of those owners grant properties for this type of lease in Greece, they are taxed normally, which is one of the best performances in Europe in dealing with this type of tax evasion. Directive 2021/514, therefore, comes to extend the successful model of our country to the rest of the EU”.

More generally, regarding the second bill which the Ministry of National Economy and Finances is proposing for a vote in the Parliament, within just two months after the national elections, Mr. Theoharis observed that “one word characterizes the second s/n – justice. Tax fairness mainly, which is based on the determination of the Mitsotakis government, in the second four-year term, to crack down on tax evasion. For us, tax evasion is an anti-social behavior. And justice, through dealing with tax evasion, will allow for an increase in incomes, because it leads to the consolidation of economic activity, increasing the GDP much more substantially and faster.”