60,000 residents in small towns learnt that they were “millionaires” for a week when the Finance Minister taxed them on prime real estate they never owned in charges made by the new uniform Single Property Ownership Tax (ENFIA) to replace the previous Property Tax (FAP). The error was rectified according to a decree by the prime minister so that tax from 2,500 to 25,000 euros per person could be canceled.

Taxpayers whose payments to the government are less than five euros will not be required to pay, however their charges for this year will be added to taxes for 2015 as part of the government’s efforts to not lose out even a euro in revenue.

A number of property owners are preparing to appeal to the special committee for complaints known as 70A so as not to pay the tax, however this office has suspended its operations for August.

Many of the problems were caused as a result of objective values left at old levels, meaning that property in towns and villages being taxed according to values of urban centers of the municipality to which they belonged.In order to solve the problem caused by the outragious real estate appraisals in many regions, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras issued an order to have land values returned to last year’s levels.

Apart from this order, an amendment is to be issued in Parliament that will change the way ENFIA is appraised in 4,000 residential communities under 2,000 people. People in these areas shouldn’t rush to pay their dues but should wait to see if a new payment is issued prior to August 29.