Support measures for artists and artisans: Exemption from performance fee and work grant

Exemption from the fee for artists and craftsmen and subsidy of their turnover, in order to strengthen the professionals in the sector who have been affected by the economic crisis, provide the provisions voted by the Greek Parliament.

This is an initiative to support the artistic space by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, which was implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance. The aim is to provide incentives to art and culture professionals and artisans to either re-engage or retain their professional activity.

In particular, artists, craftsmen and wider freelancers, employed in culture, who will resume their professional activity, which they stopped due to the economic crisis, aare varied for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 from the obligation to pay the annual performance fee of 650 euros. In addition, the total subsidy up to the amount of 5,000 euros of the turnover of the first 3,100 professionals who will resume activity is foreseen for the same period.

For artists and artisans who are still in business, the annual fee they will be required to pay will be reduced from 650 euros to 400 euros, starting in tax year 2022 and for a period of three years.

The actions, amounting to 28,000,000 euros, are part of the National Plan for Recovery and Sustainability “Greece 2.0” and are funded by the Recovery Fund, as well as the state budget.

According to the Minister of Culture and Sports, Lina Mendoni, “the economic and pandemic crisis has hit cultural professionals hard. The pandemic has highlighted problems and pathogens for decades. Since March 2020, the government, through the co-responsible Ministries of Finance, Labor and Culture, has supported professionals in the field with more than 500,000,000 euros. At the Ministry of Culture and Sports, we have designed measures that effectively support modern creation professionals and craftsmen. Contemporary artistic creation and handicrafts must have a creative future and be a means of expression and livelihood for their representatives. Our goal is to restart the industries in a way that ensures the viability of their activities. Through support initiatives, such as those just instituted, which are the beginning, we can be optimistic that the sector will recover. Indicatively, I mention that artists and craftsmen, who will resume their activities in the next 12 months, will not have the obligation to pay a performance fee for the period 2022-2024. “Our priority is to give cultural professionals the opportunity to continue to express themselves creatively through their work.”

The Deputy Minister of Finance, Theodoros Skylakakis, stated: “We provide strong incentives to art and culture professionals who will participate in the active and declared activity. Specifically, those artists – craftsmen who resume their activities until 30.6.2023, are exempted for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024 from the obligation to pay a performance fee of 650 euros for each year. Also, if they reopen their books, during this period, they are given a subsidy of 30% of their turnover, as assistance, up to the amount of 5,000 euros. At the same time, we do not forget the consistent, active artists – craftsmen, providing them with a significant discount for a period of three years (2022-2024), with the due performance fee being set at 400 euros. This is an initiative, implemented within the framework of the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan “Greece 2.0”. It is addressed to art and culture professionals who were forced to “close” their books during the financial crisis -after 2010- and aims to strengthen the industry “.

Regarding the adoption of the measures, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports, Nikolas Giatromanolakis, stated: “During the pandemic, we undertook substantial measures to support an industry already affected by the economic crisis, investing half a billion euros in it. But, as we had promised from the beginning, we did not stop there. On our own initiative, together with the relevant ministries, we are designing a comprehensive labor and insurance charter for culture. The measures we are announcing today are the first step: We are making a substantial investment in the artistic and creative potential of our country and in the practical support and recognition of the importance of the professionals of culture and crafts. “Together with the labor and insurance reforms that will follow, we hope for the further shielding and development of the industry so that all creators can make a living from their work and the modern cultural creation of Greece finds the place it deserves.”

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