Helena Handbasket

By Tivoli

The Greek economy

The summer season is 22 weeks long and let's say our takings are 1,000€ per week. VAT on holiday rental accommodation is 13% so assuming we are fully booked the whole summer, we owe the government 13% of 22,000€ straight away, which is 2,600€
If we purchase something for the business we pay VAT which is then deducted from the VAT we owe the government. In case it is of interest, Greek VAT rates are as follows;
Medicines – 6%
Basic foods and rental accommodation – 13%
Prepared foods and everything else – 24%
Once we have deducted from our total takings the VAT and any business expenditure, what remains is net profit, 26% of which goes to the government as income tax and 26.95% goes to the government as National Insurance contributions.
If we spend nothing at all on the business then our net profit is 19,400€
Our 26% income tax is 5,044€
Our National Insurance contributions are 5,228.30€
There is also property tax, (530.18€) council tax and one or two other curiosities which I don't quite understand but we have to pay them anyway.
At the end of it all, of the 22,000€ we have around about 7,600€ and the government has about 14,400€. How much of that Greece gets to spend on itself and how much gets poured into the bottomless pit that is inflated interest rates at German banks I do not know, but it's money down the plug-hole that's for sure.
We grow our own food, we grow most of our own heating fuel, we harvest our own water. Should we charge you more for your holidays to keep German banks happy?

Oh, we're in the process of making the pool that bit more decadent.

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