Stamp out rampant tax evasion in Greece – collect receipts and win… a prize!

The state has decided to reward honest customers with more than just that tingly satisfaction of knowing that they are conscientious taxpayers

One of the more eyebrow-raising reforms in a list that the new Greek government was obliged to present eurogroup creditors in an 11th-hour bid to receive a loan extension agreement, deals with the decades-old scourge of tax evasion in the country.

The measure, implemented in Portugal and Taiwan with success, calls for a retail receipt-based lottery.

According to the practice, a lottery-style procedure will select winning numerical combinations that apply to receipts. If you’ve collected a winning combination on any of your receipts, you’re in for a cash prize — to be announced.

The goal is to reward tax conscientiousness with a number of prizes. The eligible receipts are expected to include sectors where tax avoidance is most rampant, namely, doctors’ visits, legal advise, services by craftsmen (plumbers, electricians etc), hairdressers, restaurants and others. Quite possibly, receipts from the tourism sector will also be included in the envisioned lottery system.