Greece to get tough on tax evaders

Posted by Will Mathieson , Updated October 25, 2010 at 11:13 Be the first to comment on this story

In an attempt to curb Greece’s culture of tax evasion, parliament is rushing through a bill that will impose severe penalties on people who shirk tax obligations.

The problem has cost the country almost £26bn. Previous attempts to compromise with offenders have fallen on deaf ears so, according to the head of the financial crimes unit, Yannis Kapeleris, it’s "time to ‘get tough". Anyone in breach of the new legislation will now face severe ramifications. Under the new laws tax evaders will be compelled to:

•   Write ‘I will never evade tax again’ a minimum of 100 times, increasing exponentially in line with the level of evasion.
•   Wear a Turkish football shirt for the remainder of the tax year.
•   Mend all crockery damaged at state functions.
•   Refrain from eating their mothers’ cooking.
•   Spend their summer vacations in British hotspots such as Faliraki and Malia.
•   Take a course in Roman history and philosophy.
•   Sign a dictat that confirms ouzo was actually invented in Turkey, and is called ‘raki’.
•   Adopt Macedonian orphans.

It is hoped that the stringent laws will help offenders to see the error of their ways and learn from their mistakes. However, critics argue that they will produce a nation of work-shy, fair-weather, money-grabbers with delusions of grandeur.