Taxation in France

With one hand, the 2025 state budget “gives” €1.1 billion for new benefits, tax breaks, and measures to support the economy. However, with the other, it “takes,” as rising incomes lead to a corresponding increase in tax revenues.

Greece lowers the percentage of taxes in terms of GDP and converges with the eurozone average, while increasing its dependence on indirect taxes and especially value-added tax.

Municipalities across Bulgaria have initiated increases in local taxes and fees, with several municipal councils incorporating changes to the Ordinance on determining the amount of local taxes into their meeting agendas. Dobrich's municipal councilors were the first to act, approving hikes in property and car taxes, as well as fees for taxi transport licenses within the municipality.

The large increase in revenue from income and value-added tax - as the electronic tools for curbing tax evasion are paying off - provide the government with the leeway to move forward with permanent tax cuts as of 2025.

The fee for practicing a profession ("telos epitidevmatos") will be abolished in 2027 for businesses and the self-employed with invoice books ("blokaki") with up to three employers who are taxed as employees.

Greece is edging very close to both the European average and that of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries in non-salary costs with the reduction of social security contributions by one percentage point that will apply from the beginning of 2025, for both private and public employees.

With targeted audits and extensive cross-checks of myDATA and data from courier companies, auditors from the Independent Public Revenue Authority identified, in the first half of 2024, more than 52 businesses that make sales online but do not declare the revenue from them, as they do not issue the relevant invoices or receipts.

In 2023, 50% of taxpayers reported an annual income of up to 7,680 euros to the tax authorities, resulting in an average tax rate of just 10.41%. Only 10% reported income over 20,842 euros, according to an analysis of data submitted by 9,017,477 taxpayers.

Particularly interesting are the figures showing that:

The high retail prices and the increased international coffee rates have forced the government not only to extend the value-added tax rate reduction to 13% but to make it permanent.

The incomes Greeks declared to the tax office last year were lower than the corresponding ones in 2008. For 2024, however, the government is anticipating a historic high in the "raw material" for the imposition of income tax.