Greeks are amongst the most overtaxed EU citizens ranking eighth out of 28 in the taxation of real estate and fuel, according to a European Commission report to be released in Brussels today.

Specifically, Greece ranks fifth in real estate taxes and eighth in fuel taxes, according to Greece’s daily newspaper Ta Nea.

Despite high taxation, the tax revenue as a percentage of the Greek GDP remains comparatively low at 33.7%, compared to the EU average at 39.4% while the eurozone average stands at 40.4% of the GDP. This is attributed to tax evasion and the violent shrinking of the economy caused by the harsh austerity measures.

Greece’s position in the taxation of Local Government is at 0.7% compared to the 11% EU average, ranking Greece 27th in the EU28. An EC official states that there is hardly any tax autonomy in the local sector.

An EC official responsible for the creation of the report states that extensive reforms implemented in Greece have begun to pay off however tax revenue remains low. Brussels warns that any tax relief should be focused on vulnerable sections of the population.