Greek union calls for more tax inspectors to fight tax evasion
The Greek public service trade union, ADEDY, notes a lack of tax inspectors in Greece compare to other European countries
The propagandists of the memorandum of economics and financial policies implemented in Greece, in order to justify the layoffs and the pausing of recruitment of civil servants, have always used the argument that the personnel within public sector is overwhelmingly increased in Greece.
The opinion of A.D.E.D.Y., based on concrete evidence, is that the personnel of the tax authorities not only does not exceed in number but is less than those in the countries of the Troika, where there is less tax evasion, better computerization and organization of public sector procedures, more efficient land registry, fewer border boundaries, etc.
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2012 |
2012 |
|
|
|
Country |
Number of tax officers |
Population |
Ratio tax officers/residents |
Tax officers in Greece/country ratio |
|
Germany |
110.000 |
80.327.900 |
1:730 |
14.815 |
|
Belgium |
27.473 |
11.094.850 |
1:430 |
25.801 |
|
Czech Republic |
14.710 |
10.50.5445 |
1:710 |
15.232 |
|
The Netherlands |
30.365 |
16.730.348 |
1:550 |
19.663 |
|
Hungary |
22.482 |
9.931.925 |
1:441 |
24.524 |
|
Portugal |
11.566 |
10.542.398 |
1:911 |
11.871 |
|
Luxembourg |
899 |
524.853 |
1:583 |
18.550 |
|
Sweden |
10.500 |
9.482.855 |
1:903 |
11.976 |
|
Greece |
9.596 |
10.815.197 |
1:1127 |
|
Sources:
1. Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations IOTA http://www.iota-tax.org/iota-members/Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations IOTA
2. EU Country Population http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/member-countries/index_el.htm
3. Greek Population http://www.statistics.gr/portal/page/portal/ESYE/BUCKET/A1602/PressReleases/A160 2_SAM01_DT_DC_00_2011_02_F_GR.pdf
The above table shows that if Greece had the same ratio of tax officials per resident then we should have 18.500 tax officers instead of 9.500 and if compared with Belgium, Greece should have 26.000 tax officers that is almost three times higher than those who we actually have in Greece.
Recently, however, the Greek Minister of Finance, informed Eurogroup that the Greek Government intends to create a secret "army" of tax inspectors who will be hired for two months following an intensive course and equipped with electronic monitoring devices which will “reveal” those who do not pay the value added tax, i.e. those who don’t issue invoices. This “secret army” will consist of students, unemployed citizens, domestic workers and tourists who will appear as guests in order to catch red-handed the tax evaders. This method is based on, if not copying, similar system that has been implemented in the US of neoliberal inspiration and of dubious morality, political and constitutional legitimacy.
In our opinion, this approach faces tax evasion as a policing problem and not as the creation of tax consciousness through the cultivation of a broader and mutual trust between the state and the citizen.
A.D.E.D.Y. requests the immediate and permanent hiring of personnel that will staff the tax control mechanisms of our country.
If you want to have a look at the Greek Tax Inspection working conditions watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dOhMhTLZ2o
