Taxpayers' debts to the state rise to 91.5 bln euros

Taxpayers' expired debts to the state for this year expanded by 1.3 billion euros last month, taking the total of old and new debts to the tax authorities and social security funds to 91.5 billion euros, or more than half of the country's gross domestic product.

The data from the General Secretariat for Public Revenue also show that in July, when the first income tax installment was due, taxpayers failed to pay 336 million euros.

The figures further reveal that 77,431 debtors have had assets confiscated, while another 1.5 million taxpayers face a similar threat. The total number of state debtors declined from 4.13 million in July to 4.03 million in August.

The increase in expired debts by 1.3 billion euros in August constitutes one of the largest monthly rises recorded this year, while taxpayers have to pay another 1.8 billion euros by the end of September.