The phones at Greece’s tax authority (AADE) are expected to be “on fire” in the coming period, as according to the operational plan, 55,000 calls are being prepared for taxpayers who have overdue debts or have not submitted VAT returns. The calls will function as a final notice to settle obligations, as those who do not comply will face bank account seizures, asset auctions, and thorough audits.
Read: AADE: Automatic fines for late returns from July 1st – Who will pay up to 500 euros and who escapes
AADE: Categories targeted for audits
The goal is to put the “brakes” on the swelling of overdue debts, which exceed 114 billion euros, and prevent a new generation of “red” debts that deprive valuable revenue from state coffers. The list of phone calls includes taxpayers who left taxes unpaid for the first time, as well as other categories based on risk analysis criteria.
The tax administration believes that “fresh” debts have higher chances of settlement with timely intervention and pressure on debtors. It is characteristic that according to the operational plan, AADE targets compliance from at least 60% of taxpayers showing overdue debts for the first time, seeking to collect at least 45% of these debts.
Specifically, “phones will ring” for:
- Those with old and recent overdue debts, particularly those not paid on time or by the file creation date, with certified debt(s) that expired by the last day of the previous month.
- Those with unpaid installments from payment arrangements who risk losing their arrangement.
- Those who have not submitted periodic VAT returns on time or by the file creation date.
- Those who have not submitted Payroll Services Tax returns on time or by the creation date of liable parties identified through cross-referencing with third-party data.
- Those with various tax obligations: such as non-submission of Property Elements declarations, submission of blank VAT returns, etc.
- Debtors with small debt amounts that remained inactive or forgotten for long periods.
Account seizures and auctions for non-compliant taxpayers
AADE is strengthening and expanding tools and interventions to limit overdue debts which, despite arrangements and facilitations for taxpayers, continue their upward trajectory. Latest data shows that in the first quarter, new “debts” to the tax office reached 3 billion euros, with unpaid taxes exceeding 2.8 billion euros.
Meanwhile, the number of debtors increased by 30.31%, reaching 4,797,755 individuals and legal entities, compared to 3,681,752 in February 2026. Of these, more than 2.3 million taxpayers face forced collection measures, such as bank account and asset seizures, while measures have already been imposed on 1,684,592 debtors.
In total, overdue debts amount to 114.516 billion euros, of which 35.264 billion euros are characterized as uncollectable, resulting in the actual overdue balance standing at 79.252 billion euros.
The new 72-installment arrangement and eligibility criteria
The new 72-installment arrangement is expected to be activated within June, with the economic team estimating it could provide “relief” to hundreds of thousands of debtors. As stated by Finance Ministry spokesman Omiros Tsapalos, the arrangement will cover debts created up to December 2023 and will carry a 5.8% interest rate, corresponding to the 24-installment plan. Additionally, “safety valves” will apply, such as the requirement of no new overdue debts from 1/1/2024 or having an active arrangement. According to presented data, approximately 1.2 million individuals could potentially be included, as 90% of overdue debts concern old obligations before December 2023. The ministry emphasizes that choosing this time “cutoff” was done for fairness reasons and fiscal stability, so as not to disrupt the smooth servicing of already active arrangements.
