By SUZANNE DALEY
Published: May 1, 2010
ATHENS — In the wealthy, northern suburbs of this city, where summer temperatures often hit the high 90s, just 324 residents checked the box on their tax returns admitting that they owned pools.
Athenians declared taxes at a local office. Greek’s shadow economy represents 20 to 30 percent of its G.D.P.
So tax investigators studied satellite photos of the area — a sprawling collection of expensive villas tucked behind tall gates — and came back with a decidedly different number: 16,974 pools.
That kind of wholesale lying about assets, and other eye-popping cases that are surfacing in the news media here, points to the staggering breadth of tax dodging that has long been a way of life here.....
Full article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05...