According to a European Commission report that will be published on Monday, Greek citizens are amongst the most overtaxed EU citizens, ranking 8th overall. Greece also ranks 5th regarding real estate taxes and 8th in fuel taxes.
Despite the high taxation though, the tax revenue in Greece is comparatively low compared to other EU members; when the average taxation in the EU is 39.4% (and 40.4% for the Eurozone), in Greece the rate is merely 33.7% GDP. This attributed to tax evasion and the violent reduction of the economy, as a result of the harsh austerity measures.
There is concern in the European Commission, since despite the extensive reforms in Greece, some of which appear to be implemented successfully, tax revenue remains low. With the more vulnerable sections of the Greek economy bearing the brunt of the tax burden, Brussels warns that any tax relief must be focused on them.
