Restaurants, bars and the self-employed forced to have card terminals from August
The government is hoping that August will see a rise in the number of electronic transactions in Greece, to better enable it to monitor money flows and beat tax dodging.
According to sources, enterprises and self-employed professionals, mainly in domains ranking high in the tax evasion list, will be obliged to have card terminals for online transactions using credit and debit cards as of August.
Consumers will still have the option of paying by cash or card, but as of August 1 taxpayers will only enjoy a tax discount (ranging from 1,900 to 2,100 euros depending on their family status) by collecting receipts from payments made with the latter, along with e-banking receipts.
In fact, for transactions made using cards taxpayers will not have to hold on to their receipts for their tax discount, as banks will forward all records of payments taxpayers made via credit or debit cards in their name to the General Secretariat for Public Revenues.
Crucially, as of August 1, bars, clubs, restaurants, doctors, lawyers and construction-related professions (plumbers, electricians etc.) will all be obliged to have card terminals. Further, any new enterprise that applies for an operating license must also have a POS, Kathimerini understands.
