Filenews 30 May 2025 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
Good accounts make good friends and this is what the Tax Commissioner will seek to do next week, in an effort to ensure that the debts of football clubs to the state are finally put in order.
After the uproar of the previous weeks, which caused anger and doubt in public opinion, Sotiris Markidis will have a meeting with the administrators of the football teams for a final clarification. It will not only see representatives of the four teams that increased instead of reducing their debts but will be rejoined in the repayment plan as they paid part of their obligations (APOEL, Apollon, Anorthosis and Ethnikos Achnas), but representatives of all teams.
Strict recommendations
As "F" is informed, the Tax Commissioner will indicate to the football executives that there will be no further tolerance. At the same time, he will inform them that there will be strict monitoring of the plan and in the event that they do not pay three instalments, as provided for in the plan, then without any warning he will proceed to their removal from the plan and other measures. That is, the interest and charges set aside through the plan will be "unfrozen", the procedures for criminal prosecution of those who do not comply will be promoted and the tax collection measures at the disposal of the Tax Department will be activated, i.e., the placement of MEMO on the properties of the associations – companies and the freezing of bank accounts.
One plus one
According to the plan, in case of delay of one instalment, the debtor will have to pay it together with the next instalment. Also, the first instalment is paid no later than the last day of the month in which the applicant submitted a declaration of acceptance of the arrangement, while each of the remaining instalments is paid no later than the last day of the corresponding month. The amount of the instalment is used to pay debts in chronological order, starting with the oldest of the debts that fall under the arrangement.
They readjust the amounts
From the assessment made by taxpayers, they found that from the last plan, in May 2023, these unions will have to pay off all their long-term debts, which exceed €25 million, through 145 monthly instalments (the original plan provided for 168 instalments). Of course, whichever team secures the money can pay off all debts in a lump sum.
Therefore, the four non-tax-compliant football teams, as characterized by the Ministry of Finance, with their inclusion in the plan, will be required to pay monthly instalments with an adjusted amount, to cover their VAT and income tax obligations from July 1, 2007 until the recent new debts they had created.
APOEL from the new debts of €1.8 million paid €700,000 and the Tax Department expects €200,000 that he promised to pay soon. Apollon and Anorthosis have paid about 40 to 50% of the new debts corresponding to €1 million. And the competent department expects what they promised in addition. Ethnikos Achnas did not pay the additional debts of €100,000 and these will be added to his total debts. Paphos, ARIS and AEL, after the procedures are completed, will pay all their tax debts and are waiting for the Minister's decision on the tax deductions they will receive. Paphos paid €350,000, AEL's club €800,000 and pledged to pay another €400,000 in the following weeks and ARIS completed the sending of the documents for full payment.
Letter from Pantelidis to Keravnos
The members of the parliamentary Finance Committee are still waiting for the Ministry of Finance to forward to them the data they requested last Monday, when the issue was discussed in Parliament.
The deputy chairman of the Finance Committee and MP of DIKO, Chrysis Pantelidis, in a letter to the Minister of Finance, Makis Keravnos, requests the submission of the correspondence between the ministry and the CFA. The correspondence also includes the Ministry's last letter to the CFA regarding the course of payment of debts to Income Tax and social insurance.
The CFA forwarded to Parliament the two letters sent by the chairman of the primary criteria committee of the CFA, Christakis Christofides.
