Greece Considering Hiring Tourists and Citizens to Spy on Suspected Tax Evaders
9 replies, posted
[QUOTE]PARIS — Despite the European accord last month to extend a financial lifeline to Greece, Athens is rapidly running out of cash.
So it is scrambling to find new, even radical ways to fill the shortfall — including a proposal to recruit citizens and tourists to spy on suspected tax evaders.
Greece’s coffers may be empty before the end of this month, as tax receipts shrink and the economy shows signs of lapsing back into recession. Athens officials have hinted they may have trouble repaying or refinancing a total of about 7 billion euros, or $7.7 billion, owed in March to the International Monetary Fund and other creditors, or meeting government salary and pension obligations.
Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has tried to reassure creditors that Greece will not default. But in a sign of how desperately Greece needs money, his government plans on Monday to present a raft of measures to European finance ministers in Brussels in hopes of unlocking aid quickly.
That includes a proposal to enlist “casual” tax spies — tourists, students, housekeepers and other nonprofessional inspectors — “to pose, after some basic training, as customers, on behalf of the tax authorities, while wired for sound and video,” according to a letter accompanying the proposals that the Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, sent last week to Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/09/business/international/greece-proposes-using-tourists-as-tax-spies-to-fill-shortfall.html?_r=0"]More in Source.[/URL]
This is some greecey ass shit.
Does this mean I can go on a work-holiday to Greece now;
just writing down how many drinks people drink in a bar, or some shit?
I'd like to go on a paid holiday to Greece.
Like Greece even has money to pay people.
[QUOTE=kylejburke;47287309]Like Greece even has money to pay people.[/QUOTE]
Maybe they'll give you a percentage of the tax money when you find an evader?
[QUOTE=ksenior;47287527]Maybe they'll give you a percentage of the tax money when you find an evader?[/QUOTE]
IOU's
[QUOTE=kylejburke;47287309]Like Greece even has money to pay people.[/QUOTE]
Well they might just cover your expenses you spend there, and personally I would really love that.
Have a free vacation with full service while ratting out criminals, that sounds like win-win.
Man I heard so many things about Greek evaders. They might buy a house who is 99,99% built, with maybe only one rebar sticking out and since the house isn't finished and counts as "In process of being built" the owners have to pay way less taxes and shit like that.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;47287691]Well they might just cover your expenses you spend there, and personally I would really love that.
Have a free vacation with full service while ratting out criminals, that sounds like win-win.[/QUOTE]
It does sound awesome, but honestly I'd be worried about getting the shit kicked out of me by desperately poor locals who find out, or even just suspect, that I'm spying on them.
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