The Greek authorities launched recently the campaign dubbed ”Apodixi, Please”, meaning ”Receipt, Please”, in order to inform tourists on how to ask for a receipt from business owners, in order to reduce tax evasion in the country.
As the website of the official campaign notes, under Greek law, all suppliers of goods and services are obliged to issue receipts to their customers.
The consumer in Greece is not obliged to pay, either in cash or by card, if he or she is not provided with a valid payment receipt (”apódixi” in Greek).
The Greek Independent Authority for Public Revenue decided to launch this campaign in order to boost tax revenues and reduce the widespread tax evasion, which is particularly high in tourist destinations.
Tourists are also informed that all businesses are obliged to have electronic cash registers and they are not allowed to issue receipts that are handwritten or printed on regular paper.
Under Greek law, every hotel, restaurant, bar, café, car rental business and, in general, almost all suppliers of goods and services (with the exception of taxi drivers and kiosks) are obliged to accept debit, credit or prepaid cards too, in addition to cash.
So, in case some businesses do not issue a receipt, the consumer has the right to demand to pay by card.
In addition to informative campaigns, Greek tax authorities conduct regular checks to businesses in the country’s most popular destinations, to spot potential incidents of tax evasion.
