All is well in the "elite" suburbs of Athens... no wonder you never see
any going out of business signs on the quaint little shops there, and
you hardly ever catch sight of empty stores, just many people doing what
they do best, shopping, shopping and more shopping!
Going over the new tax measures, I was surprised to once again see that the government is going to unjustly tax the middle class and less fortunate. The lower classes are being called to dig deep into their pockets and pay out large sums of tax while the upper classes are hardly being asked to pay anything at all.
Going over the new tax measures, I was surprised to once again see that the government is going to unjustly tax the middle class and less fortunate. The lower classes are being called to dig deep into their pockets and pay out large sums of tax while the upper classes are hardly being asked to pay anything at all.
Indicative is the information below.
Citizens who make no more than 6,000 euros a year, or are considered to be in the poverty level, will be called to pay at least 100 euros in extra taxes, while families with three children and more will now be greatly hit by the new tax measures that the government plans to implement since their non-taxable income has been sliced to half from 20,500 to only 12,000 euros. (You can read more about these new tax measures here)
Whoever declares an income of let's say 15.000 euros will be taxed with an additional 700 euros while those who declare incomes of 200,000 euros will only have to pay 820 euros.
Does this sound right to you? Hold your horses it gets better.
Merchants will be charged with an additional 900 euros in taxes if they declare an income of 32,000 euros. Remember that those who make 7 times this amount will be charged with 100 euros less.
Does this sound like socialism... or equality?
And then they wonder why the little guys never pay taxes....
And then they wonder why tens of thousands of small merchants are closing their stores around the country and declaring bankruptcy.
When a government only works to maintain the ritz-glitz society of Athens, and all those who $$$ fund their political parties then there is no equality in society.
It is basically the powerful bleeding out the powerless.
Indeed Greek citizens own taxes but most of this money is owned by people who are high-level earners.
I will explain. Almost 36 billion Euros in taxes is owed by over 980,000 people in this country, 92 percent of which is owed by no more than 14,000 people! Yes, yes… you heard correctly only 14,000 people, most of which live in the ritzy northern suburbs of Athens, or in Panorama in Thessaloniki (you get the picture).
This probably crumbles all those theories that claim that Greek people are reluctant to pay taxes. It is a sad truth… but in Greece, the more money you make the less taxes you pay. Whereas common every day citizens who cannot pay a tax of let's say 5000 euros will be jailed.
Wake up friends, without political protection it wouldn’t
be possible for individuals like these to owe millions in taxes. And what's worse, the government does not even dare to tax them.
It is ludicrous. The rich continue to get richer, and the poor in this country continue to get poorer while the middle class (and following all these austerity measures) will completely be wiped out in a few years.
I am a capitalist, but I cannot salute greed. The ritz-glitz society of Athens (and beyond) has to begin dishing out their fair share in taxes.
Oh... and if the PASOK party wants to continue using the term "socialists" in their title, then they should move out of ritzy-glitsy areas such as Kifissia, or Ekali and rent small flats in lets say... lower income areas such as Gizi or Pireaus like the rest of us.
It is indeed sad to see a "socialist" government who says it has leftist ideologies but in all reality only works for rightest" pockets.
It is indeed sad to see a "socialist" government who says it has leftist ideologies but in all reality only works for rightest" pockets.
Signed
Marina Spanos