3 new Greek govt proposals take aim at tax evasion

Another proposal calls for the settling of debts stemming from businesses’ and self-employed individuals’ past returns without fines

The leftist Greek government will reportedly table another three proposals, dubbed reforms, to the “institutions” at Monday’s Eurogroup, including a “lottery” for collected receipts.

Another proposal is for the closing of businesses’ and self-employed individuals’ tax files without the levying of fines, a prospect aimed at discovered previous undisclosed income.

The measure for a receipt “lottery”, made popular in Taiwan, amongst others, comes after a previous proposal by outspoken FinMin Yanis Varoufakis to use … housewives, college students and tourists, amongst others, as “undercover tax inspectors” – a “reform” reportedly met with … smiles by Euro zone partners.

A receipts lottery would award cash prizes to the holders of various combinations of numbers drawn at random.

The proposal for a final closing of bookkeeping records mainly targets self-employed professionals (doctors, lawyers, craftsmen, tutors etc), who would reportedly declare previously undetected income, paying legal taxes on the revenue but not accompanying fines or undergoing further audits.

“Institutions” in this case means the EC, ECB and IMF, the previous “troika”, an anathema for the current government, which prefers the former term.