Greece, new and strange taxes are coming.

**~~Laberia~~** · 08-04-2017, 10:01 AM

Government skyrockets prices with levy 2%-6% on computers, tablets, smartphones and cameras
July 18, 2017

A levy out of the blue. Imposed on computers, tablets, smartphones, cameras and scanner machines. Last Thursday, the Greek government lawmakers voted in favor of the legislation brought by Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou. The usual idiots of Greek consumers will have to pay 2% -6% more on taxes. Just like that. When governments promise no more taxes, rest assured that tax will come in form of levies. This is what has been happening since beginning of the

In a last minute intervention Minister Koniordou changed the levy rate from one percent of the total value to two percent. At the same time, she was supposed to withdraw the levy from the smartphones but she did not do it. She merely did not specify the levy rate on smartphones.

The new tax, the so-called “tablet levy” of 2% will be imposed on any appliance with a RAM memory exceeding 4GB.

A levy of 6% will be imposed on devices recording image and sound as well as electronic storing discs of more than 1Tetrabyte (TB).

A levy of 4% will be imposed on photocopy machines, scanners, photocopy paper and hard disc of up to 1 TB.

The purpose of the tax is to collect 100 million euros that will go to the so-called “copyright holders” like songwriters, singers, film makers etc in Greece.

55% of the levy will go to creators, 25% to performers and 25% to producers of sound and image.

However, in creditors’ language this is a levy for the benefit of third parties. Something that the bailout agreement has set to abolish.

EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said on Monday that the Commission is examining the issue in order to check whether this third party levy complies with the bailout agreement.

Whether you call it tax or levy the truth is that in end effect the sum of tax/levy will be more than 1/4 of the retail price. All these devices have a Value Added Tax of 24%. Now you can start adding: 26% tax on computers and tablets, probably 30% tax on digital camera and 28% tax on my scanner/print machine.

According to media reports on Wednesday, the levy on smartphones has been withdrawn ‘due to legal issues with smartphones companies.’ However, the information has not been officially confirmed yet.

Greek consumersto pay 65 million euros per year

The usual idiots of Greek consumers will have to pay 2% -6% more on taxes for e-devices the government practically force them to buy and use in order to be able to perform important interactions with the state like filing income declarations.

New levies just like that. Just like that? Not exactly. Beginning of the year, a scandal around the Organization for the protection of Copyright Rights for copyright holders broke out. Auditors found a “hole” of 50 million euros for just four years and members of the board that were given themselves monthly salaries of five digits per month in the years 2011-2014.

Are we now called to come up for these financial holes, because the state let the board of directors prevail?

At the same time, rest assured that when a Greek government promises no more taxes, a wave of levies is on the way. Temporary Solidarity Tax, temporary Unified Property Tax, a levy on mobile and landlines, a levy on coffee and wine. I lost control of the levies list since 2010. Everything is temporary and lasts forever.

My cat complains about the levy saying she only takes selfies with her friends and that the whole group is not registered as copyright holder, anyway.

I’m 100% sure the next levy will be imposed on the toilet flush used more than 3 times per day. That’s 1 Byte, isn’t it?

PS I’m tired of paying for third parties when no third party pays anything to me. Honestly.