A new favorable debt arrangement, based on article 25 of Law 5143/2024, was announced by the municipality of Athens, according to which citizens will now have the possibility to pay off their obligations in 60 installments instead of 24, which was before.

All types of debts confirmed in cash until 31/10/2024 are subject to the regulation, with a deadline for submitting an application on 31 January 2025.

The application for inclusion in the regulation is submitted electronically to the digital services platform of the municipality of Athens, using Taxisnet codes, at the address https://eservices.cityofathens.gr following the following path: CERTIFICATES – REQUESTS -> REVENUE DEPARTMENT -> DEBT SETTLEMENT REQUEST , or in person at the Protocol of the Municipality of Athens (22 Liosion, 2nd Floor, 9.00 – 14.30).

The regulation concerns:

1. Natural persons who meet the criteria of Vulnerable Debtor (Law 4738/2020 article 217), by presenting a Vulnerable Debtor Certificate (through the gov.gr digital portal), who are granted the privilege of exemption from surcharges and overdue interest payment, as well as from the fines, by percentage depending on the scale of installments they will choose to pay off their debts, as follows:

– one-time, with a 95% exemption

– in 2 to 6 doses, with an 85% exemption

– in 7 to 12 doses, with an 80% exemption

– in 13 to 60 doses, with a 75% exemption.

2. Natural persons who do not meet the criteria of the Vulnerable Debtor, as well as Legal persons, without any exemption from the surcharges, late payment interest as well as from the fines of their overdue debts and without the installments being burdened with the legal interest.

OTHER TERMS

– Minimum installment amount of 50 euros.

– The payment, either of the lump sum or of the first installment, is made within 3 working days from the day the debtor becomes aware of his inclusion in the arrangement, otherwise the arrangement is canceled automatically. Subsequent installments are paid by the last working day of the respective month.

– Late payment of an installment entails the burden of a monthly surcharge of 5% on the amount of the installment.

– If the debtor, at any stage of the settlement, pays the remaining installments of the settled debts all at once, a percentage exemption is granted on the remaining amount of late payment surcharges and fines, equal to what corresponds to the number of monthly installments finally settled.

– It is envisaged that an order to lift the TIN obligation will be issued to the competent Public Financial Service (P.O.Y.) if the debtor has paid: a) 5% of his regulated debt, for a debt of up to 5,000 euros or b) 10% of his regulated debt, for a debt of 5,000.01 euros or more.

– It is foreseen to issue an order to re-commit the TIN in case of late payment of even one of the installments.

– The taking of coercive measures and the process of forced execution on the debtor’s movable or immovable property are suspended. This suspension does not apply to confiscations, which have been imposed in the hands of third parties or for which the relevant orders have been issued, however, the amounts due from them are taken into account to cover installment or installments of the arrangement.

– In case of non-payment of 2 consecutive installments or 3 installments in total, the arrangement is interrupted and the dues are confirmed again, together with the fines and surcharges that have been written off. The head of the cash service notifies the relevant D.O.Y. the total amount owed (initial debt, fines, surcharges and interest), which is now confirmed in it and collected under the responsibility of the Independent Public Revenue Authority (A.A.D.E.).

– Debts that, on the date of submission of the application, may also be subject to this regulation:

a) are suspended, administratively or by law,

b) have been subject to a previous arrangement or installment payment facility, which is in force, with the loss of the benefits of the previous arrangement and without their inclusion entailing the return of amounts paid,

c) have not been confirmed, because they are pending a judicial challenge to any degree, if in the latter case, the debtor waives the legal remedies or means. If a request for an amicable resolution of the dispute was submitted with the legal aid, the above waiver covers this request as well. A certificate from the court registry, where the case was pending, that a waiver has been submitted, is attached to the application for inclusion in the regulation.