Receipt lottery to launch by end of the month

Every day from late June, 50 lucky Greek shoppers who use their credit or debit cards for payments at stores across the country will win credit for future purchases, as the Finance Ministry tries to contain the drop in tax revenues by adding to the incentives to make consumers ask for receipts.

Tax inspectors say there has been an increase in tax evasion as a result of the heavy taxation imposed on people and companies, with many consumers preferring to enjoy a discount in return for the non-issue of a receipt. Moreover, taxpayers are no longer drawn by the incentive of the tax-free threshold as it is so low that most salary workers and pensioners have already reached it, with the year not even halfway through.

Therefore the ministry is bringing forward the receipt lottery: Consumers who pay by card will automatically stand the chance of earning free credit for their next purchases, which will depend on the amount they spent. For example, a consumer who pays a bill of 40 euros and gets a “2” multiplier on the retailers’ card terminal will get 80 euros’ worth of credit for future use. Once a week there will also be a draw offering credit of 500-1,000 euros for one lucky consumer.

The ministry will set aside 12 million euros per year for this project.