For additional revenues from cracking down on tax evasion in the self-employed sector, which will amount to 2 billion euros at the end of the four-year period, the Kostis Hatzidakis speaking to SKAI and the Misfits. The finance minister sent a message to the market that there will be no mercy for those who make a profit, while adding that the government is moving away from the logic of emergency benefits with permanent measures.

No more rate hike scenarios

Kostis Hatzidakis also put a definitive end to the scenarios for increasing tax rates for freelancers.

There is no question of increasing tax rates, there is a question of tackling tax evasion. The system to be adopted will lead tax evaders to pay more, he explained.

“Steps have already been made in the past 4 years. The “VAT gap” as it is called, i.e. what we lose from VAT, was reduced from 23% to 15%, and the goal by 2026 is to reach 9%, the same as the European average, basically with electronic transactions ” write down.

We have presented 10 initiatives that will be legislated within the month, we will bring the bill to the cabinet to move forward. We estimate that from the VAT – gradually – we will collect every year, until the end of the four years, 2 billion more than the VAT.

“Some freelancers are tax evaders. I don’t like categorizations. We are targeting tax evaders,” explained Kostis Hatzidakis.

“Permanent measures instead of emergency benefits”

“From ’24 onwards we are giving 2.1 billion euros in permanent increases which is three times what was the market pass… The government is leaving the logic of extraordinary allowances and going to measures of a more permanent nature” pointed out the minister.

“We are increasing the salaries of civil servants after 14 years by 1,476 euros per year on average. We are increasing pensions again, we are increasing the solidarity allowance by 8%, we have the tax-free 1,000 euros more for families with children. For the private sector we have the 3-years coming back, and they mean an increase in income for some private employees and a new increase in the minimum wage from the spring.” “The heating allowance continues and increases for families with children” added the Minister of Finance.

“There will be no mercy for filthy lucre”

“This year we will close with 4% inflation, Greece has the third lowest inflation in Europe, but the interventions and heavy “bells” of the Ministry of Development continue in various commercial chains for filthy lucre. Alas, there will be no mercy in this. That much is clear. We’re not going to play. We know how much people are interested.” “At the same time, with government interventions from 18th in the minimum wage until last year, taking purchasing power into account we are now 13th” the minister explained.