{"id":329960,"date":"2010-02-17T00:22:00","date_gmt":"2010-02-17T05:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/greek-deficit-excuse-tax-evasion-isnt-taboo-it-supports-families-2010-2"},"modified":"2010-02-17T00:22:00","modified_gmt":"2010-02-17T05:22:00","slug":"greek-student-but-tax-evasion-helps-support-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/329960","title":{"rendered":"Greek Student: But Tax Evasion Helps Support Families!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Greece<\/p>\n

It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Greece is no victim of speculative investors, but rather a victim of its own financial mismanagement.<\/p>\n

Bloomberg:<\/a><\/p>\n

“There’s no taboo about this,” the 23-year-old student said in a Feb. 2 interview. “Tax evasion helps support families, but it’s not good for the Greek state.”<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

Greece’s revenue from income tax was 4.7 percent of GDP in 2007, compared with an EU average of 8 percent<\/strong>, EU statistics show. Tax revenue fell by 2.5 percentage points of GDP between 2000 and 2007 to a euro region-low of 32 percent even as economic growth averaged 4.1 percent a year.<\/p>\n

…<\/p>\n

That anger taps into a tradition of tax evasion-as-protest against nearly four centuries of rule by the Ottoman Turks that ended with Greek independence in 1829, Massourakis said. Even for those who pay, colluding with tax-dodging of taxi drivers and bar-owners is still considered a form of solidarity. <\/strong><\/p>\n

“If this was a friend of mine he wouldn’t give me a receipt and I wouldn’t ask,” Rigas said. “I’m not so sure they’ll succeed.”<\/p>\n

At the risk of being horribly general, from 30,000 feet up, it sounds like Greek citizens want services, protected jobs, and retirement benefits; all without anyone paying a dime. Read more here ><\/a><\/p>\n

Join the conversation about this story »<\/a><\/p>\n

See Also:<\/b><\/p>\n