Significant interest in express debt payment plan

By Prokopis Hatzinikolaou

More than 200,000 state debtors have visited the Finance Ministry?s online Taxisnet platform since last Friday to print a form for the express settlement of debts to the state on favorable terms. Although the ministry says this is a satisfactory level of response, the number of printouts does not necessarily mean that that many debtors will rush to tax offices by Friday to settle their debt via this favorable plan.

In fact a number of debtors who printed the payment form have told Kathimerini that they will not enter the express settlement scheme given that they would only be forgiven the interest imposed on the debts and not the fines for the delayed payment.

After Friday the ministry?s agencies will start working on the 100-installment repayment plan, which is expected to start just after Easter. Applications will have to be submitted by May 26. Taxpayers who are interested in applying will have to enter their personal page on Taxisnet and choose the number of installments they wish to pay their dues in. Those who pay in a lump sum will have the entire set of penalties and interest imposed written off.

The 100-installment scheme can also be entered by those who more than 1 million euros, and monthly payments can start from as little as 20 euros. Debts up to 5,000 euros will incur no monthly interest.