Topic: Greece Proposes Using Tourists as Tax Spies to Fill Shortfall... (Read 1536 times)

Outsourcing your spies to fix your economy may be a non starter...

With what would they even pay you, since they're as broke as a church's mouse ?
But seriously, i admire them for taking a stand against disorder they created, they finaly started to take responsabilities to get out of that corner situation.
Who knows how much tax evaders they will discover, and i wouldnt be surprised if other countries also start using similar methods, we have something similar for years,
and its filling up the budget nicely, or so they claim on news atleast.

cheers

All that just gives me another reason not to travel to Greece. I don't want to be hired to spy on anyone, and I don't want to have people spying around me.

Lol, that's crazy. I guess this is what you do in a place where even the cops evade taxes?

The Greek government would probably deduct tax and make its payment. 

Wtf man to protect the tax inspectors? Did you lost your mind? They are going there to harrass innocent peoople and put them into cages if they don't comply with the maffia's demands. Tax inspectors are mobster maffia thugs, they deserve no respect. If they want to be respected they should quit their job and find a honest living, not bullying inocent people and harrassing them and threatening them with prison for a living.

They are bad guys man, and justice comes in all shapes and forms eventually...

If a tourist is hired to be a spy does he have to report his earnings to the greek tax system or to his homeland? Or both? Does he spy for free?


 

So it will increase tourism and help catch tax evaders! Two in one xD


In the article it says they will get some basic training to do it.


I don't think they want to keep a corrupt government. That's why they voted for this last government, and why they are doing this to catch tax evaders and passing other reforms, isn't it?

This story of beating a tax inspector is a bit difficult to believe. In ancient times, that happened, but that was really long ago. Anyway, if that is real, they should hire more police forces to protect those guys instead of tourists.

But will the tourists be safe? Certainly not if they are discovered. I remember around10 years ago when on holiday. All of a sudden we were given receipts for everything in shops, bars and restaurants. When queried we were told that the tax inspector was in town. After a couple of days he moved on to an agricultural village around 5 miles inland and apparently he was picked up by some locals in a pick up van and badly beaten and left in a ditch at the side of the road.

This system is copy-paste from USA.

Tourists have no clue how to tell if a company is evading tax. This scheme is not going to help Greece reduce their untaxed black market.

They certanly dont have the right to reach into peoples pockets and bank accounts, but they have the right to enforce the law, like in any other country.
What we are talking about here is avoiding the tax, selling goods and services without taxing it, any country would do the same if the amount of evasion is high.

cheers

Look at the extent of the tax evasion problem in Greece. Back when they were occupied territory of the Ottoman Empire, tax evasion was a form of patriotism. The tradition is still so pervasive that today's politicians still openly refer to tax evasion as Greece's national past time. From about 2005 on, tax evasion rates have been around 40% for the country. When nearly half of the population that is supposed to be paying taxes isn't, and then you add on top of that public corruption tied to a deeply ingrained cronyism and nepotism system, and overly generous pension payments driven by politically connected and powerful government unions, it's no wonder Greece is in shambles. A study of tax evasion found that tax evasion from self-employed people alone in Greece in 2009 accounted for 31% of the budget deficit. It was 40% in 2008. Worse, tax evasion is highest among the professional classes (the highest earners). (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/09/greece-tax-evasion-professional-classes?CMP=twt_gu) Tax rates are really high there, but that's probably necessary when so many people don't pay and there's so much corruption. The Greek public wants to keep their corrupt government, cronyism, and generous government benefits, and wants to not pay taxes too. That's not a winning combination, and it's a wonder they keep finding people to loan them money when they've proven unable/unwilling to reform their system. Default is inevitable in my opinion.

No it doesn't! First of all they should cut expenses, then stop promising things they can't possibly accomplish and finally stop reaching into people's pockets to get back what they irresponsibly wasted.

They are fascists to me. Normal governments do not spy on the people. It's already bad to do it by people in uniforms, and it's even worse to do it with people in disguise.

exactly they are so fucking weak that they will never dare to go against the "big" money of Greece (btw since ROME can in, they are poorer than dirt, only their pseudo attempt at propaganda on the youngs works)... why why why? because they want to friendly with the big guys (who said that young girls under heroin had no power...) you see... then you will understand when the sky will turn dark and "life" cease.

Once people see that this is nothing to do with left or right but about beauracrats trying to seize power and influence then the true revolution will begin.

The best part is that: these fascists are radical leftists .

This is just the lowest level of scum-dom that a ruling class maffia can achieve. Of course they are leftists, they want to coerce people and turn everyone against eachother.

What happened to the "good of the people", huh, guess never existed. Their own maffia indebted their country and now poor shopkeepers are the one who get punished for it by not paying taxes? Gimme a break.