G. Kouros
[email protected]
Greece's newly created Independent Authority for Public Revenues, itself a memorandum-mandated provision, is reportedly preparing a new action plan to collect a chunk of the 95 billion euros in arrears owed by enterprises and individual taxpayers to the state.
Although a significant share of the "Olympus-sized mountain" of arrears dates back decades and often involves companies now longer in existence and deceased taxpayers, another portion of the massive figure has been accumulated over recent years, and is the focus of continuing efforts by tax authorities to collect revenue and boost state coffers.
At the same time, a noticeable trend of accelerated arrears over the recent period threatens annual fiscal targets prescribed in the ratified medium-term adjustment program, and by extension, the effectiveness of new austerity measures and the implementation of whatever countervailing measures that the Greek side wants to take after 2019.
The four initiatives previously and repeatedly announced by the service include the gradual development of a comprehensive and automated IT system to monitor and manage the collection of arrears; expanding the e-payment framework and incentives for increased use; the inauguration of an electronic system - available via the Internet - to calculate individual social security contributions by self-employed professionals, and the collection of related arrears by the tax bureau's services, and finally, initiatives and incentives to boost the voluntary compliance of businesses and taxpayers.
