Tax Evasion in Greece: Who’s Not Paying Taxes?

An estimated €45–50 cardinal successful “black money,” oregon unreported income wrong Greece’s shadiness economy, is presently successful circulation. Credit: George E. Koronaios CC BY-SA 4.0

In 2025, the taxation evasion complaint identified during audits successful Greece reached 29.7%, an summation of 2.6 percent points compared to 2024, according to authoritative data.

According to information from the autarkic authorization AADE, automotive and motorcycle repair shops were identified arsenic the “champions” of taxation evasion, with a non-compliance complaint reaching 61%. Just down them were onshore and pipeline transport (58.1%) and rental/leasing activities (56.2%).

Non-compliance rates by sector:

Healthcare: 54%

Personal Services: 50.3%

Agriculture and Hunting: 40.8%

Wholesale Trade: 33.9%

Food Services (Restaurants/Cafés): 32.4%

Accommodation: 31.6%

Retail Trade: 29.3%

Food Industry: 28.8%

General Sectors: 19.1%

Throughout 2025, the AADE conducted 47,602 partial tract audits crossed the country, importantly exceeding the yearly people of 25,400. Although this measurement was little than the 56,654 audits performed successful 2024, the identified non-compliance complaint increased. In total, 11,146 audits resulted successful documented violations, with a cumulative full of 178,718 idiosyncratic taxation infringements recorded.

Geographic organisation of taxation evasion successful Greece

Regional investigation shows that Western Greece recorded the highest non-compliance complaint (39.9%), followed by the Peloponnese (39.6%) and Thessaly (38.2%). The lowest non-compliance complaint was recovered successful Western Macedonia (24.9%). Specifically, the Tax Offices of Patras and Piraeus reported the highest rates of non-compliance, peculiarly during audits conducted extracurricular their superior jurisdiction.

Beyond the €3.1 cardinal ($3.64 billion) successful taxes and fines assessed by the AADE past year, authorities implemented strict enforcement measures to guarantee compliance:

• 680 concern closures (temporary suspension of operations): 40.44% of these progressive the nutrient work industry, 33.68% progressive agriculture/livestock, and 9% progressive retail.
• 293 peculiar monetary penalties were imposed connected businesses.

Greece’s shadiness economy: €50 cardinal escaping taxation net

An estimated €45–50 cardinal ($52-59 billion) successful “black money,” oregon unreported income wrong Greece’s shadiness economy, is presently successful circulation, accounting for astir 1 successful each 5 euros of GDP that escapes taxation authorities’ oversight. This persists contempt large strides successful digitalization and ongoing efforts to combat taxation evasion.

Recent information from the Centre of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE) underscores the standard of the challenge, arsenic the shadiness system successful Greece stands astatine 20.9% of GDP. This is astir 3.3 percent points higher than the EU average, which presently sits astatine 17.6%.

Greece continues to fertile among the highest successful Europe, alongside countries similar Italy and Poland. Remarkably, adjacent with a important simplification of 7.3 percent points since 2003, Greece’s informal system remains astir treble that of Germany oregon Ireland.

Related: One-Third of Greek Tourism Businesses Found Guilty of Tax Evasion