The draft law 'Measures to Combat Tax Evasion' has been put up for public consultation by the Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis.

The draft law includes reforms aimed at addressing the issue of tax evasion comprehensively and multi-dimensionally, ensuring tax justice, and securing the necessary resources to strengthen social policy.

The interventions implemented by the draft law include:

-Prohibition of cash transactions in real estate transactions.

-A new tax system for freelancers.

-Increase in fines for cash transactions exceeding 500 euros, double the transaction amount.

-Regulation of the short-term rental market.

-Termination of cooperation between fuel trading companies and smuggling offenders.

In addition, the following interventions, not requiring legislative regulation and to be implemented through administrative actions, complement the reform:

-Completion of the connection of cash registers with their POS systems in the first months of 2024.

-Expansion of the obligation to have an electronic payment system (EFT/POS) in other retail sectors that currently do not have it.

-Activation of the digital dispatch note, initially as a pilot program from early 2024 and fully by the end of the year.

-Mandatory electronic invoices by 2024 for which a relevant request has been submitted to the EU.

The Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kostis Hatzidakis, stated: "This draft law is a serious reform effort to address tax evasion. The government intervenes at many different levels to achieve tangible results for this major issue: expanding electronic transactions, restricting the use of cash, strict measures to combat smuggling, modernizing the framework for short-term rentals, and a fairer way of taxing freelancers, ensuring that employees and retirees do not feel like victims of tax policy. With all these initiatives, we can limit tax evasion and support our social policy accordingly, starting with health and education, as will be reflected in the 2024 budget. Without increasing taxes, through these initiatives that reduce wrongdoing and tax evasion, social policy in Greece will gain more substantive content. At the end of the day, with the fiscal space that will be created, the goal is always to further reduce tax rates.

We are now putting this draft law up for consultation, expecting comments, criticisms, and proposals. We commit to examining all comments sincerely and impartially. This is the added value of public consultation.

In any case, it would be wrong for society itself if the philosophy of this draft law changed and known pathologies were maintained. Because our basic goal through this legislative initiative is to create a stronger sense of social justice. I imagine this is a common goal for all of us."