Many taxpayers fail to pay 2014 road tax and 2012 property levy
A significant number of taxpayers have neglected their obligations in recent months, leading to a hole in public finances that authorities are eager to plug as soon as possible.
The number of vehicles whose 2014 road tax has not been paid is more than double that for 2013, while electronic cross-checking has revealed that over 1 million taxpayers who own 1.6 million properties have not paid the special property tax tagged on to electricity bills for 2012, thereby creating a hole of 400 million euros.
Property owners who have not paid the tax on their assets will now need to do so by the end of this month or face a fine, while vehicle owners who have failed to pay their road tax will have to pay double the amount over the course of this year.
According to figures released yesterday by the General Secretariat of Public Revenues, of the total 7.5 million properties connected to the electricity grid, the special charge tagged on to power bills for 2012 has not been paid for 1.645 million properties. Furthermore, according to sources, some 200,000 vehicles have not had their 2014 road tax paid, compared with 95,000 vehicles last year. The data issued by the General Secretariat of Public Revenues showed that authorities have collected 1.08 billion euros from 5.37 million road tax transactions.
The secretariat’s Electronic Governance Department has sent online reminders to owners who have not paid their special property tax for 2012, asking them to do so immediately. Those who fail to pay up will suffer the consequences of forced collection – i.e. confiscation of income and bank deposits or even assets and properties.
The Finance Ministry also announced yesterday that property rental contracts will no longer be submitted to tax offices but to the General Secretariat of Public Revenues in electronic form through the Taxisnet website, just like income tax declarations. The deadline for the submission of rental contracts will be the end of the month after the signing of the lease agreement and submission remains compulsory. Owners will be able to print the submitted contract and use it as proof of submission.
