A long disused office building that we pass on the way to work was, a few months ago, renovated and opened up as a tax office. We don't know whether it is a permanent arrangement or simply a 'pop-up'.
We know it is a tax office because for the months of June and July queues of desperate looking people clutching paperwork would be arranged outside (in as much as you can arrange a queue in Greece) when we passed on our way to work in the mornings. Some looked as though they had been there all night.
Piraeus's new tax office opened up right beside a café and mealhouse with lots of outdoor tables and seating. From their point of view neighbouring tax offices (especially ones with long queues) must create exceedingly good business.
I entertain unhappy people lurking about waiting to have their tax papers sorted out; a cat on a Donkey is not something you see every day. I garner laughs - well that has got to put them in a better mood for receiving the inevitable "computer says no"......
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| Go on then....laugh! I dare you. |
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| What is a tax office anyway? |
Lucky kitty not having to deal with taxes snd officers.
ReplyDeleteYeah but I have to deal with the fall-out at home....F gets all bent out of shape at tax time. She used to 'paye as you earn', which is easy. Here it is a once a year thing and that gets stressful.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteWell, Tigger, I think you do sterling work as the reliever of stress, whether tax induced or not! Hope F is benefitting from your stress relieving properties as she gathers speed towards the big move... hugs and whiskeries, YAM-aunty xxx
I have bullied and supervised until she completed the paperwork - now only a visit to the KEP (everything in Greece - even signing up for an electricity account - has to be signed and verified in the office of the KEP. It is sort of like signing an affidavit and having it officially witnessed.) Like all offices of the government here it involves long queues that move slowly. F has to sign formal Customs documents for us to get OUT of the country. At least the UK 'going in' ones could be done online.
DeleteI used to dread tax time. Running a small business means it’s not straight forward.
ReplyDeleteI used to break out in hives every year. Ever since our GST was introduced it got even worse with rules changing on a daily basis. I even went to a seminar in the city and a week later everything we learnt was wrong.
So since then, after many tears, we got a book keeper and an accountant and I’ve been retired from doing the books
My life has been bliss since. I much prefer to be the trophy wife lol
F never dreaded tax time until we lived here. Now we do tax returns in 3 countries! Here the bookkeeper only added to the stress!
DeleteAt least the IRD here has always been fair to me, although this year I didn't get any tax back which was a bit of a bummer.
ReplyDeleteThey usually are fair everywhere. It's just that the system they oversee is some darned complicated. If you have anything other than a wage or salary, there will be tears on the keyboard by the end of the tax year.
DeleteTigger, we applaud your selfless actions, entertaining and relieving stress in equal measure for your local area's unhappy taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteYou'd do the same Nobby - it seems only charitable.
DeleteWhat a great life you have!! Tax? Tax is when they take away half of your chicken dinner to give to the poor kitty downstairs but really eat it themselves lol
ReplyDeleteNice analogy - I shall be checking their plates in future
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