Apparently there are $30 billion in taxes every year lost of the government, a number that would save Greece and the EU from a whole lot of the pain they’re feeling now. Of course no country gets all of it, but getting even a quarter of that is nearly $10 billion… And so much of it is SOOOOO obvious, who knew they were so damn cheatin’ over there?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/world/europe/02evasion.htm
Some quality quotes:
In the wealthy, northern suburbs of this city, where summer temperatures often hit the high 90s, just 324 residents checked the box on their tax returns admitting that they owned pools. So tax investigators studied satellite photos of the area — a sprawling collection of expensive villas tucked behind tall gates — and came back with a decidedly different number: 16,974 pools.
“There are many people with a house, with a cottage in the country, with two cars and maybe a small boat who claim they are earning 12,000 euros a year,” Mr. Plaskovitis said, which is about $15,900. “You cannot heat this house or buy the gas for the car with that kind of income.”
Mr. Plaskovitis said that tax collectors had already begun using technology to crosscheck claims and that they had taken steps like asking luxury car dealerships for list of their clients. A lot of Greeks, he said, listed luxury cars as company cars, a practice that would be challenged in the future. “We do not believe you need a Porsche to sell Coca-Cola,” he said.