Nearly €9.86 billion in new debts were added over the past year to the books of the Greek Tax Authority (AADE), as taxpayers continue to struggle under the weight of soaring energy costs, leaving approximately €822 million in taxes unpaid every month.
Despite €14.5 billion in debt write-offs carried out by AADE, total overdue liabilities stood at €109.77 billion at the end of July, prompting the government to expand its debt settlement scheme from 72 to 120 installments — giving households and businesses more time to repay their outstanding obligations. For now, only €5.31 billion, or 6.7% of the actual collectable debt, is currently enrolled in a repayment arrangement.
Greece’s tax authority records nearly €10 billion in new unpaid taxes amid energy crisis
According to data analyzed by the State Budget Office in the Greek Parliament, total overdue debt has fallen by €2.06 billion compared to July 2025, when it had reached €111.83 billion. Of the total amount, €30.50 billion — or 27.78% — has been classified as uncollectable. This increase is primarily linked to fines under the Books and Records Code totaling €5.51 billion, which relate to a single debtor and were classified as uncollectable in November 2025.
The actual overdue balance stands at approximately €79.27 billion. Of this amount, 66.46% — or €52.69 billion — stems from tax-related debts. Fines account for €17.31 billion (21.84%), while non-tax liabilities such as loans, court costs, and surcharges total €9.27 billion, or 11.70%.
Within tax debts, VAT dominates at €24.86 billion, representing 47.18% of the total. Income tax follows at 42.22%, while property taxes account for just €2.76 billion, or 5.23%. Of the total tax debt, €8.12 billion is owed by insolvent debtors, while €18.45 billion relates to installments that expired more than a decade ago. The remaining €26.12 billion generates 91.99% of actual tax collections.
Number of debtors declines
At the end of July 2026, the number of registered debtors stood at 3,985,112 — a decrease of 16,682 compared to the previous year. Despite this annual decline, the figure rose by 129,337 within a single month, mainly due to the expiration of the first installment of personal income tax and the creation of new income tax and VAT liabilities.
A total of 89.77% of debtors owe up to €10,000, yet this group accounts for only 3.57% of total debt. By contrast, just 0.26% of debtors — those owing more than €1 million — hold 74.36% of the total outstanding balance. Significant differences also exist between individuals and legal entities. Individuals owe €43.65 billion, representing 39.76% of the total, while legal entities owe €66.12 billion, or 60.24%. Lower debt categories are dominated by individual taxpayers, whereas legal entities account for 68.28% of all debts exceeding €1 million.
How debts break down by category
Debts of up to €500 remained largely stable, while those in the €500–€10,000 range increased by €41.9 million. The steepest rise was recorded in the €10,000–€100,000 bracket, which grew by €612.3 million. In the €100,000–€1 million range, the increase reached €1.01 billion. In contrast, total debts exceeding €1 million fell by €3.72 billion — a development largely attributed to the reclassification of large sums as uncollectable and to related debt write-offs.
