By Tasos Dasopoulos
The additional revenue from the fight against tax evasion, which has begun to gather in the public funds with the help and culmination of the tourist movement, increased by about 30% the excess of tax revenue in the seven months of January – July.
In particular, while tax revenues in January – June were recorded increased by 1 billion euros compared to the budget objective, in the seven months the excess reached 1.55 billion euros.
At seven-month level tax revenues reached 43 billion euros and are increased by 3.5% compared to the budget target. The increase is 7.5% compared to the revenues of 40.3 billion euros raised during the same period last year. The annual increase is recorded while the public will lose 1.2 billion euros of taxes this year from reductions in tax burden for employees and families with children. At the same time, the historical rule wants the revenue of each year to increase by a maximum of 1% above the growth rate, which for this year is 2%. Therefore, the total seven-month revenue certainly has an amount from the arrest of additional tax evasion.
However, from the Ministry of National Economy and Finance they keep their papers closed for the additional revenue they expect from tax evasion (unverified information predicts a sum of 1 to 1.5 billion euros) since as in 2024 and 2025, these revenues are accounted for at the end of each year. However, as size increases continuously from EUR 2 billion in 2024, to EUR 3 billion in 2025 and this year it can reach EUR 4 billion, since AADE has also put in place a series of new tools.
New instruments against tax evasion
Since this year, AADE has been expecting significant results from its new anti-tax evasion instruments, in particular from:
- The e-mail bulletin: Strengthens transparency in the movement of goods and limits virtual transactions and undeclared sales.
- The electronic clientele: It started piloting and extends to more professional sectors, aiming to better monitor business transactions.
- The digital work card.: It will apply to all sectors of the private sector by the end of the year, ensuring the recording of real working hours, the reduction of 'black' work and the return of taxes and contributions.
Also, AADE has made use of new technology to capture illicit trade in tobacco products and fuels, of which additional revenues of at least EUR 500 million are expected in the first phase.
The additional tax revenues – which the European Commission will recognise – will be added to the EUR 1 billion that is the financial space from the margin of expenditure created by the 2025 overturn, in order to finalise the final budgetary area on the basis of which they will lock up the measures of the ITH election, which will be implemented in 2027.
