Filenews 3 August 2025 - by Eleftheria Paizanou
Some professional bodies - mainly from the field of accountants and lawyers - are sitting on burning coals for the promoted tax reform
They disagree with some provisions included in the bills, which have been under public consultation for two weeks. Some of the bills give additional weapons to the Tax Department to hunt down those who evade taxes or owe money to the state.
In the midst of the summer holidays, business, accounting and lawyers are on their feet, doing exercises on paper. Indicative of the upheaval that prevails is the fact that some bodies, during the discussions they had in their collective bodies, put on the table a proposal for the submission of a request for the withdrawal of the bills!
Some of them consider some provisions included in the legislation to be devastating for businesses. They talk about the granting of superpowers to the Tax Commissioner, issues such as the temporary sealing of companies that have not settled their tax obligations and the freezing of company shares. Some argue that in the context of strengthening measures against tax evasion, conditions of tax-terrorism are created in some cases.
In order to avoid a possible "stumbling block" of the tax reform, professional associations will have meetings at the Tax Department and the Ministry of Finance.
The position of the Commissioner of Taxation
"F" contacted the Tax Commissioner Sotiris Markidis, who stated that among the goals of the tax transformation should be the increase of tax compliance, the expansion of the tax base, the fight against tax evasion and the increase of the collection of the Tax Department. As the Commissioner of Taxation argued, without the additional tools included in the legislation, the efforts made by the Tax Department will not be strengthened.
In fact, Mr. Markidis called on those affected who have reservations to submit them through the ongoing consultation on the bills. As he said, "if there are measures included in the legislation that some consider to be excessive, they can discuss them in the context of the consultation."
According to the Tax Commissioner, concerns and any reservations should not be a tool to prevent tax evasion. He also pointed out that the bills have included many safeguards that shield taxpayers, inviting those who wish to submit additional safeguards.
There is no tax terrorism
Responding to the allegations of tax terrorism and the treatment of taxpayers as potential tax evaders, he said that all taxpayers should be treated the same. As he explained, the vast majority of taxpayers comply with their tax obligations, indicating that "the measures against tax evasion that have been included are not for the many but for the few who are inconsistent and do not comply".
He said that the correct and consistent taxpayers, who are the most numerous, have no reason to worry. Regarding the reservations expressed about the temporary sealing of businesses, he noted that all the procedures that will be followed will be done through a court order, which, as he stressed, does not apply in Greece, where the respective tax authority can voluntarily proceed with the sealing of businesses.
At the same time, he noted that there should be no concern about the sealing of businesses, as many safeguards have been included in the legislation. He pointed out that when businesses operate by issuing invoices and paying their taxes, it is in the interest of fair competition, something that the same businesses should pursue.
