OECD report: Greeks pay highest taxes

Country is at the top of the 35-member organisation

Greek citizens paid the highest tax rates among all 35 OECD countries in 2016, according to a report released. The data, focusing on the tax wages of OECD countries showed that Greek taxpayers were burdened with payments to the state that included high income tax, more social security contribution and a lowering of the tax free threshold. The report revealed that 2-children families in Greece bore the brunt of the taxes, as child support in Greece was much lower compared to other OECD members. The data showed that a Greek family with two children with a gross income of 36,272 dollars per annum had to pay 23% direct taxes and contributions to the state. In comparison, a 2-child family from Spain with a gross income of 40,276 dollars appeared in terms of weighted purchasing power to pay only 14% of its income. A single Greek taxpayer with a gross annual income of 22,093 dollars was left with a net income of 17.632 dollars after tax. Overall, the tax burden of single workers with an average income from wage tax and social security contributions was up by 1.06% in 2016 compared to 2015 amounting to 40.2% of the aggregate cost for employers.