# What happened to the Property Tax?



## Jolly Roger (Dec 4, 2011)

I wonder if anyone can make sense of the latest electricity bills to arrive. The one just delivered is a read one, as opposed to an estimated one. 
The first thing that struck me was, there was no property tax demand. I had expected one fifth of the annual amount, to be collected in the remaining 5 bills of 2012, but the property tax box (E.E.T.H.Δ.Ε) is no longer there!

There is a box on the right hand side of sheet 1 titled 'Electrical System Charges from 1/1/2011'. No idea what this is, but it seems to have added a significant amount to the total!




This is the article which states the Property Tax will be paid in 5 instalments for 2012...........




> The unpopular property tax, introduced this year on all structures with an electricity connection, will continue to apply 2012, but taxpayers will have to pay it in five installments instead of two.



http://www.athensnew.../portal/1/51655


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## Cairokid (Sep 15, 2009)

I just paid our office bill and there was a Ε.Ε.Τ.Η.Δ.Ε 2011 box but it showed the second of two installments.


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## wka (Sep 18, 2009)

The 1/1/2011 bit is probably from last year's electricity increase. It's supposed to go up by another 12.5% soon (maybe already has?) - but that's all for actual electricity usage, not taxes.

I can't answer about why they aren't putting the property tax on the bill now. We've all paid up for two installments for 2011 but maybe they are going to bill the property tax differently now that they can't turn off the electricity for non-payment? (they were going to bill directly from YpOik anyway starting in 2013 - perhaps they'll start earlier?) 

It would seem to me that the main reason for billing through DEH was to use electricity shutoff as a lever to get people to pay; since that's no longer a possibility... ??

Or maybe it's just too early for the 2012 taxes to start showing up. I'm sure they'll get us eventually.


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## Jolly Roger (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks wka, I guess that explains it. I would be interested to know what 'YpOik' means?
In my case, I am not a property owner and had agreed with the owner that we would each contribute 50% of the tax. If it is not collected through the electricity bill, it will hopefully save me some money.


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## wka (Sep 18, 2009)

oops sorry Jolly Roger, YpOik is shorthand for the Ministry of Finance. 

If you're referring only to the new "special" property tax - you, as a renter, don't owe ANY of it - unless you've worked out some weird deal where you're paying less rent or something, you should know that the Ministry of Finance made it VERY clear that 100% of the special new property tax is to be paid by the owner (the renter is supposed to pay the bill and then take all of it out of the rent). The regular old property tax that's been a part of the DEH bill forever is usually paid by the renter - although ethically it's not fair, it's customary.


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## Jolly Roger (Dec 4, 2011)

wka said:


> oops sorry Jolly Roger, YpOik is shorthand for the Ministry of Finance.
> 
> If you're referring only to the new "special" property tax - you, as a renter, don't owe ANY of it - unless you've worked out some weird deal where you're paying less rent or something, you should know that the Ministry of Finance made it VERY clear that 100% of the special new property tax is to be paid by the owner (the renter is supposed to pay the bill and then take all of it out of the rent). The regular old property tax that's been a part of the DEH bill forever is usually paid by the renter - although ethically it's not fair, it's customary.


Thanks wka, so I suppose the Property Tax will be collected in a separate bill sent to the property owner.
I am fully aware that this tax was intended to be paid by the tenant and then deducted from the rent. In our case, the owner lives in Australia and has never lived in Greece, having inherited the property from his father. We have lived in the house for twelve years at a very low rent, although we do all the maintenance.
In the circumstances, it seemed unfair for the owner to have to pay 100% of this tax, so we agreed to split it.
I think it is fair that the tenant pays the local council tax. That is what would happen in other countries, including the UK.


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## wka (Sep 18, 2009)

As long as you know it's not required, that's all I was after. And you're right, the local city taxes are fair game, but there has always been an actual 'property owner's tax' which is technically NOT owed by the tenant, but almost all tenants pay. It's usually only €1-3 per month.

Tonight on the news they are saying that the electric company has been billing a tax which is illegal / was repealed. So I think if you are not getting billed for the tax, just be glad you're not getting billed for an illegal one instead haha!


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## wka (Sep 18, 2009)

I missed the first part of the soundbite but I think they just said two seconds ago on the news that the tax will be collected 3x/year instead of 5 or 6 or whatever it was, and that if you pay it all at once, you have a 1.5% discount instead of the 5% discount that they had previously said. however take that with a huge grain of salt because I only heard the last few seconds and I'm not even sure they were talking about the special property tax!


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## Jolly Roger (Dec 4, 2011)

It seems as if the property tax will be collected in 4 instalments for 2012 starting in May.




> New Property Tax
> 
> In parallel with the property tax, the tax office has imposed a 'special property
> duty' for year 2011 and 2012 that is collected through the DEI electricity bill.
> ...


 
Tax and AFM Greece


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## dave garry (Jan 29, 2012)

will need to send maybe 10 boxes to kalymnos greece for may 2012 can any boby help


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## wka (Sep 18, 2009)

dave garry said:


> will need to send maybe 10 boxes to kalymnos greece for may 2012 can any boby help


probably best to start a new thread so your question gets seen!


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## Jolly Roger (Dec 4, 2011)

It appears the property tax will no longer be collected through the electricity bills. Instead the demand will be sent to property owners from tax offices.



> “Paying taxes is a national duty,” said newly appointed Finance Minister Giorgos Zannias and ordered tax offices to send out the first wave of property tax bills for 2009 to 200,000 Greeks. The ETAK 2009 is the property tax bill that the state had failed to collect in the years that followed 2009. Instead an emergency property tax was raised triggering strong reactions especially because it was sent through the electricity bills.
> 
> At the same time, the caretaker FinMin of Pikrammenos’ interim government declared that the bills to collect the emergency property tax for 2012 will be sent to property owners after the elections.
> 
> Most probably after the elections, the ETAK 2010 tax bills will be sent as well.


Keep Talking Greece » Blog Archive » Greeks to Pay Property Tax – Once Again!


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