Theoharis: The platform for tax declarations opens today

On Thursday (25/4) the platform is expected to open for the submission of tax returnswhile from May 1st, monthly traffic fees will be activated, according to the Deputy Minister of National Finance, Haris Theoharis.

Speaking to ERT, Mr. Theocharis said about the tax statements that “what we are doing this year, which I believe is a very positive gesture, is that we extend a hand of trust to accountants and taxpayers who make their declarations themselves”.

“So we say that precisely because, customarily because it does not exist in the law, we open every year around March 31, but this year, because we had to legislate the automatic submission of declarations on behalf of taxpayeran important innovation, and it took a few days, it was voted on last week, it got gazetted on Monday and therefore the AADE in order to make the adjustments, he had to wait for this vote”, he added.

“These days we took in April, we give them in advance in July. So the deadline that was for June 30 will go to 25-26, as many days as we have taken since April”, he pointed out.

“And in this way we say that we recognize our own obligations. We give these days and on the other hand we expect their responsibility to be recognized accountants and taxpayers and to complete this process within the times we give, because there will be no further extension. So it will go until July 25, the last day, and until July 31 to pay the first installment and for 8 installments until February,” he continued.

About what will happen to them traffic fees per month stated that “they will be voted on in the coming days, from May 1 this process will be able to be activated (…). We will bring a regulation to activate this process (…) if someone moves their vehicle and it is stationary, the foreseen fine is 10,000 euros. It is a very serious offense to drive a vehicle that is registered as immovable.”

For freelancers noted that “anyone challenging the presumption must prove that their lifestyle matches the income they claim to have. So he says that he didn’t even have an income of 10,000 euros. OK, accepted. Let’s go see. Does he live on 2,000 a year? lives on 3,000 a year? That should prove it to us. So this proves to be a mini pothen esches, mini maxi, call it what you want, so the lifestyle has to match what you say you declare[…] Look at the other person telling me that I live on 3,000 and making trips abroad and living a life with cars etc. obviously it will not be acceptable.”

There will be no extension in the interface between POS and cash registers

Then Mr. Theoharis was asked if there will be an extension in the connection of the POS with the cash registers: “There is no excuse anymore. The necessary time has been given. We have said and consolidated – I think – that we do not give extensions. This financial staff does not give extensions. So no extension will be given.”

“And just so we’re all clear, our methodology will be specific. We are starting immediately and will publicize how the checks will be done. The checks will obviously start with the big fish and work their way down to the small fish. We will not start with the small ones to end up with the big ones, because the big ones obviously have the financial resources and the capacity to finish, but when 94%, according to our announcement yesterday, have already completed the process or booked the appointment to finish by the end of April out of respect for the effort of these people we cannot discount the remaining 6%,” he said.

“Public does not mean I pay nothing”

If there is a provision in the plan to allocate more money to the NHS, one of the questions asked was Mr. Theoharis answering “When is the NHS public?” When it provides proper services and so no one questions the reason for its existence or when it does not provide proper services and everyone says you will only be saved if you go to the private clinics and they are looking to find a way to avoid the public hospital, go to private clinics? We say in the first case and that is why, for example, we are bringing back an old voted logic of afternoon surgeries, which will finally remove waiting lists, queues from the NHS and in this way it will be able to give reliable and serious services again ».

“Public doesn’t mean I don’t pay anything. Someone always pays. This is a fact. Whether it’s with our taxes or our levies or whatever, that’s the first. The second is that in the public sector the logic of having a participation is also a public logic. This participation does not have to cover the entire cost. Privatization is when you cover costs and profit No. The participation can be some percentage of the medicine, some small percentage of the cost of an operation or anything else. This does not escape from the operation of the public sector,” he continued.

“People should not wait for surgeries. And let’s not forget that this is not the case only in our country. Britain’s health system is currently collapsing. It is in a very difficult situation, France and Germany, even Holland has huge problems. Therefore, it is not only a Greek phenomenon, but I leave it at that. We are actually carrying out a major reform with money from the Recovery Fund and we are actually supporting the NSS. Is it the end now? Did we do this and solve the problem? No, by no means. We’re still a long way behind where we’d like to be, but there’s no need to beat ourselves up. You go to France, they write an exam and you wait four to six months to get the exam, the diagnosis,” he said.

Supplies are running low

At another point, regarding bank fees to professionals, he said that “we are legislating in the coming days, following the order of the minister of Kostis Hatzidakis, the reduction of fees for all transactions up to 10 euros, so that there is a ceiling and from then on these the agreements made to be shared between the three parties of the transaction: the bank that has the card and the customer, the clearinghouse that has the merchant and the machine and the scheme, i.e. Visa and Mastercard mainly, but also some other schemes” .