The government’s announcements on the new tax measures, with the introduction of presumptive taxable income, hit freelancers, scientists and small and medium-sized businesses, since in the name of supposedly fighting tax evasion, horizontal and therefore unfair measures are being promoted and the practice is being adopted “better few than many, than many than few”.

This was emphasized in today’s (Monday) interview given by the representatives of the Coordinating Committee of Free Professionals-Scientists-Professionals-Traders, regarding the new tax measures announced by the government.

As announced, in order to react, the organizations decided to form a united front against the new measures, with the aim of withdrawing them, organizing a protest rally on Wednesday 22 November at 13:00 outside the Ministry of Finance, escalating the mobilizations and coordinating nationwide protest events, depending on the development of the issue, and collecting protest signatures and sending them to the prime minister.

As highlighted in the interview, the government seems to ignore the reality experienced by the majority of freelancers, scientists and small and medium-sized businesses, after the ten-year memorandum period, the health crisis due to the pandemic, the energy crisis and rising prices and inflation. Moreover, it is as if he is ignoring the evidence he already has, which proves that a significant part of freelancers, scientists and small and medium-sized enterprises is unable to meet basic obligations and has significant debts to the State, banks, insurance funds.

In addition, as it was underlined, the government “seems to be unaware that many of them are losing the arrangements they have been subjected to and are facing persecution”.

The representatives of the agencies pointed out, among other things, the following:

“- Taxation based on presumptive income, i.e. income that has not been earned, not only does not combat tax evasion, since it protects high incomes, which can contribute substantially to the state budget, but leads to the annihilation of a large part of the economically active population, which constitutes the backbone of the Greek economy, the middle class.

– The government, in its attempt to justify the unjustifiable, attempts to identify freelancers, scientists and small and medium-sized enterprises with employees, blatantly ignoring both the recent decision of the Plenary Session of the Council of Ministers 1880 and 1888/2019 and the fact that it is not comparable figures, since they are different distinct categories of employees, do not have tax-free income nor the deductions and exemptions of employees.

It was noted that to determine the presumptive taxable income, not the net taxable salary of the employee is used, but the gross salary, including insurance contributions. Furthermore, the presumptive taxable income is increased on the one hand based on the time of practicing the profession and on the other hand cumulatively based on the annual payroll cost and based on a rate when the annual turnover is greater than the average of the annual turnover of KAD.

The latter results in the excessive taxation of freelancers, not based on their own income but on the income of others, in violation of Article 4 paragraph 5 of the Constitution.

The invocation, that the evidence is rebuttable, is pretentious, since it concerns only specific cases (pregnancy, illness, military service, imprisonment) and in practice, as has been proven in the past, disputing them is impossible.

– Separation of TIN: Especially for sole proprietorships, small and medium-sized self-employed and professionals have been asking for years, the separation of the TIN of the business entity, from that of the natural person. This would be a brave step to free households and avoid the bankruptcy of entire families, who follow the company’s commitments and its course into bankruptcy, or at best into permanent debt.

– The government is deploying anachronistic, unfair and leveling methods to fight tax evasion, while boasting that it has new control tools at its disposal (indirect control techniques, mydata, connection of cash registers with the Ministry of Finance, installation of POS, etc.).

At the same time as it applies this tax raid on the freelancers, it leaves unfired companies and businesses that show losses for many years, as well as the large tax evasion on fuel, dividends, capital raising coke.

The fight against tax evasion presupposes a substantial dialogue between all entities with the aim of a fair tax system, which will take into account the real conditions of development of the Greek economy and the particularities of each profession and will be based on the contribution of each according to their strengths” .

In the interview which was given at the offices of the Athens Chamber of Commerce, the organizations participated:

– General Confederation of Professional Craft Merchants of Greece

– Plenary meeting of the presidents of the Bar Associations of Greece

– Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Entrepreneurship

– Geotechnical Chamber of Greece

– Professional Chamber of Athens

– Chamber of Commerce of Athens

– Hellenic Dental Federation

– Coordinating Committee of Notarial Associations of Greece

– Federation of Court Administrators of Greece

– Panhellenic Veterinary Association, Commissioners of Greece

– Panhellenic Association of Physiotherapists

– Union of Dietitians and Nutritionists of Greece