ENFIA property tax to burden 7.3 million Greeks

First instalment to be paid next week

7.3 million property owners in Greece will be called upon to pay a total of 600 million Euros for each month from September through to January 2017, with average per owner estimated at 458 Euros. Tax authorities are expected to issue the special property tax (ENFIA) clearance slip by Thursday, while the exact amount corresponding to each taxpayer will be posted on Taxisnet, the official site of the Tax Office, next week. At least 5 million property owners will pay the same amount as last year, while citizens with farm land will be burdened with a further 250 million Euros. According to the Finance Ministry’s initial assessment, the aggregate of the payable amount from the property tax will amount to 3,344 billion, slightly over the 3,342 billion for 2015. Some last minute changes saw the government back down its plans to include farm plots in calculating the supplementary tax, a decision that benefited small agricultural plot owners and pensioners who had by and large inherited lands from their parents. Based on the standing law those who will be hit hardest from the property tax provisions are owners of plots and detached houses, who despite the reductions in objective value of properties will pay more than last year. Owners of properties that were not rented out will also be adversely affected, as they will not be eligible for a 20% discount that was implemented in 2014 and 2015.