The Greek tax.

Well I can see boredom and marina rot is setting in already guys :) thank god we still enjoying the free wind and what little sun about , or should I say rain by the sound of the banging on the cockpit .
 
I suspect the legal challenge by the German and French sailing associations have yet to wend their through EU Commission, delays caused by new Commissioners being sworn in. So nothing will happen for about 5/6 months.
As far as the Limenikos Soma are concerned, the chore of collecting dues was passed over to "other parties" on 04 August and they're now running on the new law - ie you pays your lump-sum and have it recorded in your DEKPA, on an annual basis.
Who collects it? Looks like local Tax office, either direct or via the Banks. Currently Tax Offices can only take cash - no facilities for electronic payment.
I expect to have to cough up when the boat returns into the water around 3rd week in April. But will remain adamant that it's got to be credit card (all transactions in excess of €2000 HAVE to be by electronic transfer, Cash is interdit.)
However being Greece....
 
Last edited:
I'll wait until jimB and the CA provide verifiable info before getting excited. 5/6 months through the euro courts seems a mite opto/ pessimistic though. Should be thinking in terms of 5/6 years, after all the judges have their pensions to consider.
This being Greece I think we're going to end up with a mish mash of local enforcements, tax interpretations, exemptions and collection methods. It seems unfeasable that they can come up with a single legal cohesive system. It's a Greek thing!
 
Indeed, the French sailing organisation has now lodged formal complaints to the EU on three grounds. Two refer to international law, and one refers to an infraction of the EU directive on "Means of Transport". I'm not sure that the EU is a competent authority to pass opinions on international maritime law. EU opinions on directives tend to be given within months. However, they have no meaning until an infraction actually takes place. Judgement on infractions can take a long time, and enforcement even longer.

The Cruising Association (CA) is on the case. Changes to tax gathering are being considered, but have yet to be agreed and published as administrative procedures before they could come into effect, so it's premature to publish anything. Anyway, when we know, we'll publish.

We also wish to avoid the EU directive being applied as in Spain, whereby boats spending more than 180 days in the country have to be imported, thus becoming liable to all local regulations for equipment fit, inspections etc. This may be an undesirable side effect from insisting EU directive rules are met.

The most effective lobbyists against implementing the tax at all are local oligarchs, who deploy vast influence to keep their toys clear of unwanted taxes! Personally, I don't wish them well, but my opinions on this matter are not relevant.
 
This is what's surprises me ,
late in the season I met up with a PP officer I knew from way back when he was station in Kos , now station in Lefkas Town , the conversation got around to the Greek tax , he told me officers are fed up with people going into the PP office and insisting in paying the tax or asking question about it , his words ( he never know any one so keen to pay a tax ) every one who approached him was British . I laugh and said us Brit are all law abiding and love paying taxes .
But his right , it seen some can't wait to be taxes , my guess if this tax will ever be implemented , is as good as any one else on YBW including the people who are in the know how , but some still don't grasp the imprecations what this tax could mean to cruising any where in the EU if it comes Into play .
 
sailaboutvic said:
This is what's surprises me ,
late in the season I met up with a PP officer I knew from way back when he was station in Kos , now station in Lefkas Town , the conversation got around to the Greek tax , he told me officers are fed up with people going into the PP office and insisting in paying the tax or asking question about it , his words ( he never know any one so keen to pay a tax ) every one who approached him was British . I laugh and said us Brit are all law abiding and love paying taxes .
But his right , it seen some can't wait to be taxes , my guess if this tax will ever be implemented , is as good as any one else on YBW including the people who are in the know how , but some still don't grasp the imprecations what this tax could mean to cruising any where in the EU if it comes Into play .
Click to expand...

I have saved up some imprecations, Vic, mainly English but some French, German and Dutch. I'm going to Finland to get some Finnish ones and my friend Stavros Manitsas is reseaching come of the archaic Greek ones as well as the demotic. ;-)
 
sailaboutvic said:
This is what's surprises me ,
late in the season I met up with a PP officer I knew from way back when he was station in Kos , now station in Lefkas Town , the conversation got around to the Greek tax , he told me officers are fed up with people going into the PP office and insisting in paying the tax or asking question about it , his words ( he never know any one so keen to pay a tax ) every one who approached him was British . I laugh and said us Brit are all law abiding and love paying taxes .
But his right , it seen some can't wait to be taxes , my guess if this tax will ever be implemented , is as good as any one else on YBW including the people who are in the know how , but some still don't grasp the imprecations what this tax could mean to cruising any where in the EU if it comes Into play .
Click to expand...

But if you listen to what JimB is saying, the implication of forcing Greece somehow to not be allowed to collect this tax is that yachts that spend more than 182 days per year in Greece may then have to be imported into Greece with all the tax and regulation implications that implies. Greece would then impose a tax on Greek flagged boats. We surely don't want all EU countries requiring the importation of yachts that spend more than 182 days per year there? That would mean you couldn't over-winter your boat in the same country in which you spent the summer cruising.
 
Tony Cross said:
But if you listen to what JimB is saying, the implication of forcing Greece somehow to not be allowed to collect this tax is that yachts that spend more than 182 days per year in Greece may then have to be imported into Greece with all the tax and regulation implications that implies. Greece would then impose a tax on Greek flagged boats. We surely don't want all EU countries requiring the importation of yachts that spend more than 182 days per year there? That would mean you couldn't over-winter your boat in the same country in which you spent the summer cruising.
Click to expand...
Tony first of all there no prove at all that if the tax law didn't come in that Greece would introducing the 182 day rule , that would be killing the golden gooses , then for sure there would be a mass exit .
secondly if the tax law did come in to play there nothing to say they still wouldn't try to introduce the 182 day rule .
But thirdly and most important of all if the tax law in Greece was in play it mean other country might just do the same ,now as an example let just look at our own case this year we have visited five country , can you image paying tax in five country ?
Let alone the people who only want to cruise Greece for a few months while pasting thought .
Another case , let's take Paul who started all this again , wintering out in Sicily and plain to go to Turkey next season , he would have to pay a tax in Sicily , another tax in Greece and once he get to Turkey he then is going to have to pay all the cost Turkey is applying to cruising that as just added another £1000 euros on his cruising cost at the very less .

As I said so many time before , if Greece want to tax tourist , which what this is , it should be a tax on mooring fees and harbour dues , not a yearly tax .
 
Last edited:
sailaboutvic said:
Tony first of all there no prove at all that if the tax law didn't come in that Greece would introducing the 182 day rule , that would be killing the golden gooses , then for sure there would be a mass exit .
secondly if the tax law did come in to play there nothing to say they still wouldn't try to introduce the 182 day rule .
But thirdly and most important of all if the tax law in Greece was in play it mean other country might just do the same ,now as an example let just look at our own case this year we have visited five country , can you image paying tax in five country ?
Let alone the people who only want to cruise Greece for a few months while pasting thought .
Another case , let's take Paul who started all this again , wintering out in Sicily and plain to go to Turkey next season , he would have to pay a tax in Sicily , another tax in Greece and once he get to Turkey he then is going to have to pay all the cost Turkey is applying to cruising that as just added another £1000 euros on his cruising cost at the very less .

As I said so many time before , if Greece want to tax tourist , which what this is , it should be a tax on mooring fees and harbour dues , not a yearly tax .
Click to expand...

Was there a mass exit from Spain then?
 
Tony Cross said:
Was there a mass exit from Spain then?
Click to expand...

As you know very well there only a very small part of Spain that implement that Law and most of the people who been had are people who have houses and running business And there no where near the amount of cruising boats from different EU country in Spain as there are in Greece . And on that point , when Ailmerimar was hit we was there at the time , been there well over the 182 and so where many others , three boat got hit all Brits two had houses as well as boats and the third was running a business and have been for many a years from his boat , they never bother any body else .
If the truth is knew what really bothering some on here nearly most us Brits is the fact that they spend all there time in Greece , never leaving so in reality they should have there boat reg under Greek flag and as They live full time in Greece they should also pay Greek taxes as for everyone else who just cruise Greece for a while then move on or leave there boats here and return home for some months we just all tourist to the country , I am happy to pay a tourist tax on hotel bills or in our case marinas and harbour fees but to pay a tax in a country for just sailing here ,that's not on, I for one still pay large amounts of taxes back Home and so do others who go back to work over the winter months .
 
Last edited:
sailaboutvic said:
As you know very well there only a very small part of Spain that implement that Law and most of the people who been had are people who have houses and running business And there no where near the amount of cruising boats from different EU country in Spain as there are in Greece . And on that point , when Ailmerimar was hit we was there at the time , been there well over the 182 and so where many others , three boat got hit all Brits two had houses as well as boats and the third was running a business and have been for many a years from his boat , they never bother any body else .
Click to expand...

You know, if you winter in Agios Nikolaos we're going to spend a fortune in the Two Brothers bar talking about all this stuff... :)
 
Tony Cross said:
You know, if you winter in Agios Nikolaos we're going to spend a fortune in the Two Brothers bar talking about all this stuff... :)
Click to expand...

Tony I am sure we find other things to talk about . There more to life then the Greece tax , and I can for give you for being miss guarded :)
You never know you might just convert me , ( oh dear there goes a flying pig )
 
Last edited:
sailaboutvic said:
Tony I am sure we find other things to talk about . There more to life then the Greece tax , and I can for give you for being miss guarded :)
You never know you might just convert me , ( oh dear there goes a flying pig )
Click to expand...

I'm no evangelist so you're safe from conversion, unless you don't drink alcohol of course, we can't have that sort here! :D
 
Tony Cross said:
You know, if you winter in Agios Nikolaos we're going to spend a fortune in the Two Brothers bar talking about all this stuff... :)
Click to expand...

Nope, I always have free drinx there!!


PS I think this is developing an ambiance as does "the Scottish play" in the Green Room.

PSS Sorry I missed you Tony, in Ag Nik - this summer - understand you were up in the Ionian doing some dredging.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

O
“The Dog that Didn’t Bark:” Yanmar. 4L HASTE.
Replies
2
Views
281
oldgit
O

Share this page

Top