The "winners" from Wednesday's announcement in Parliament, by the prime minister himself, of a mostly expected reduction in next year's property tax (ENFIA) rate will be roughly 3.5 million owners of low-value real estate.
"Low-value" in this case, according to the Tsipras coalition government, is property assessed as below 60,000 euros by the tax bureau, with others of such properties to see up to a 30-percent reduction between 2018 and 2019 rates.
In absolute terms, the leftist-rightist government budgeted 260 million euros in less revenue for the 2019 budget.
A reduction, albeit lower, was announced for property valued - and taxed upon objective tax criteria - between 60,000 to 200,000 euros.
Conversely, the "losers" in this case are 500,000 taxpayers with amassed property value exceeding 200,000 euros - which means either one "high-end" residence or a several properties.
The unpopular tax itself has long been a political "hot potato" in the country since first being imposed in late 2011, and collected through the electricity bill.
One of hard left SYRIZA's main pledges prior to assuming power in January 2015 was a complete abolition of the tax. After winning the election in that year, the now ruling party maintained the tax, with the first relief coming on Wednesday.
