Stournaras: Maintaining tax exemptions is only feasible with equivalent proposals

Referring to the burning question of the elimination of tax exemptions for children and called upon to comment on the different approaches of PASOK and DIMAR, Finance minister Stournaras said that maintaining tax exemptions is only feasible with equivalent proposals.

Exiting Maximos Mansion after a meeting with the prime minister and shortly before his meeting with representatives of the governmental partners (Sachinidis from PASOK and Chatzisokratis from DIMAR) who have serious objections to provisions of the tax bill, the Finance minister said, "there is always room for maneuvering. But we must save from the general tax bill, which is part of the 13.5 billion euros. Anyone proposing elimination should suggest something in its place."

He added that "most of all we should maintain our credibility because these are things that we agreed and voted upon."

Meanwhile, PASOK came into Stournaras' consultation with the political party representatives on the new tax bill raising three issues:

-       increasing tax repayment of 1,950 euros by 5% for each child in the family. If the ministry insists on the abolition of tax exemptions for children, then the state should return to the taxpayer a bigger tax deduction (2,045 euros for one child, 2,140 for two, etc.)

-       not completely eliminating the tax deduction in interest on housing loans for families

-       providing tax and insurance incentives to young people of about 30 years of age who are unemployed and will open their own business, and tax them as employees or at 50% of the tax for the self-employed

The representatives of the political parties will have another meeting with Stournaras next week to weigh the cost of the proposals and consider any equivalent recovery measures that will be required.