ATHENS: As Greece’ s make their annual exodus to islands and villages for summer vacation, there’s one group hitting those spots for work: tax inspectors.
In the two weeks to Aug. 9, Greece’s tax services conducted checks and audits on 11,232 businesses, with a focus on tourist areas where violations are rampant, the finance ministry says. The checks targeted restaurants, clubs and bars, souvenir shops and other such tourist-oriented businesses in areas including central Athens and the islands of Santorini and Rhodes.
As the government of Alexis Tsipras heads into the final stretch to tie up a third financial rescue from euro-area partners, he is being held to a pledge to clamp down on tax evaders, one of the reasons that led to the country seeking a first bailout in 2010. Alternate Finance Minister Tryfon Alexiadis vowed on July 29 to audit everything “from luxury hotels to the smallest canteen.”
