Businesses continue to be champions in the timely payment of taxes, leaving behind households that have been “squeezed” by high prices, making it difficult for them to meet their tax obligations. According to data from the Greek Tax Authority for the eight-month period of January-August 2025, nearly 9 out of 10 businesses paid their income tax on time, while the tax compliance rate for individuals stood at 73.5%. In March, businesses broke all records, paying 97.72% of income tax before the regular deadline expired.
Read: Overdue debts: Tax debts “balloon” – Overdue obligations reach €111.8 billion
In detail, the Greek Tax Authority’s data on tax compliance by tax category reveals the following:
- Corporate income tax: Of the €4.363 billion that should have been paid in the 8-month period of January-August 2025, €3.903 billion was paid on time, meaning the timely payment rate for corporate income tax stands at 89.46%. In August, the tax compliance rate reached 88.84%, compared to 89.18% in July, 87.23% in June, 91.10% in May, 92.06% in April, 97.72% in March, 91.2% in February, and 86.61% in January.
- Individual income tax: Collection efficiency in the 8-month period reached 73.54%, as taxpayers paid €1.953 billion out of the total amount of €2.656 billion. Nearly 3 out of every 10 euros of individual income tax remained unpaid, resulting in the swelling of overdue debts. According to Greek Tax Authority data, new unpaid taxes for the same period amounted to €6.135 billion, recording a 24.8% increase compared to the corresponding period last year (€4.916 billion). In August, the tax compliance rate stood at 74.07%, with households paying €460 million on time out of their total bill of €620 million.
- VAT: From the €13.902 billion debt for the January-August 2025 period, the state collected €11.380 billion, meaning the compliance rate stood at 81.86%. In August, the amount that should have been paid totaled €2 billion, but the amount that ultimately flowed into public coffers was €1.639 billion, meaning the timely payment index stood at 81.8%.
- Property tax: Collection efficiency in the 8-month period reached 78.16%, as €1.255 billion was paid from property tax installments totaling €1.606 billion that had been assessed. In August, 6,164,976 property owners paid €153.67 million, while the total debt was €190.68 million, meaning 80.59% of those liable paid their tax on time.
On average, the tax compliance rate in the 8-month period for VAT, property tax, and income tax for individuals and corporations reached 82.09%, meaning nearly 8 out of 10 taxpayers were compliant with their obligations to the Tax Authority. The high collection rates continue to fuel the surplus in tax revenues and, combined with anti-tax evasion measures and additional collections brought by high prices, make the 3.6% of GDP target set in this year’s budget achievable.
