What’s on strike March 11 in Greece?

March 9, 2010 at 18:50 · Filed under Greek News

Another 24-hour strike on March 11 will disrupt travel and close all archaeological sites, museums and airports in Greece.

On behalf of the conscientious residents of Greece who value our jobs and the future, we apologize for whatever inconvenience this has caused and hope you will not give up on this country. We need your tourism and business to revive the economy.

Plenty of private businesses, restaurants and cafes will be open to welcome you.

*Article last updated March 10, 2010, 20:00

What’s on strike?

List will be updated as official announcements are made.

All airports: Closed, due to participation by air traffic controllers. All flights to/from/within Greece canceled. Call your airline now, if you haven’t been notified.

Olympic Air: All flights canceled on March 11, some rescheduled on March 10 and 12. See, “Press Release: Flight cancellations by Olympic Air” if you are affected.

Aegean Airlines: All flights canceled on March 11, some rescheduled on March 10 and 12. See “Press Release: Flight cancellations by Aegean Airlines” if you are affected.

Ferries: Docked. Refunds/rescheduling without a fee available to those who booked in advance.

Athens public transport: No Athens buses, no tram, no trolley, no proastiakos (suburban railway), no metro (red and blue lines). Taxi cabs are not on strike.

Long-distance train network (OSE): Running only on emergency basis.

All archaeological sites and museums: Closed, due to ADEDY participation.

Media blackout: No local news with journalists on strike from 6:00 a.m.; foreign media still working.

Landfills: Closed nationwide since Saturday, March 6. Garbage pickup may be affected.

Courthouses: Two-hour stoppages daily until Friday from 10:00-12:00.

Public sector offices: Closed, due to ADEDY participation.

Public utilities: Electric company (DEH/PPC), due to GENOP participation. This usually takes the form of unannounced, rolling one-hour power cuts. Further action was announced for March 15, 16 and 17.

Hospitals: Operate with emergency staff only.

Banks: Closed.

Teachers: Participation in strike is dependent on location and school.

Two good words to know are Απεργία or apergia (strike) and Λουκέτο or louketo (lock). Also, as this is Greece, you may find variations according to city, municipality or individual as many do not support strikes and/or choose not to lose pay.

Partial strike

Athens metro green line (ISAP): Will operate between 10:00-16:00 to accommodate those participating in protests.

Buses in Thessaloniki (OASTH) will be on strike between 8:30-20:30: In other words, bus service is only available 4:30-8:30 and 20:30-23:30.

KTEL long-distance buses in Greece made no announcement: Travelers are advised to call in advance.

Rallies

Roads are closed to traffic during protests, so expect delays and disruptions.

ADEDY (public sector) & GSEE (private sector): Rally starting at Pedion Areos at 11:00

PAME (Communists workers group): Protest starting from Omonia Square, Athens

GENOP/DEH-KHE (Electric company union): Joining GSEE/ADEDY rally at 11:00

Medical staff: Rally outside the Ministry of Health at 14:00.

Police: Rally outside General Headquarters in Piraeus at 18:00

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Thank you!

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Καλημέρα/Kalimera!

March 9, 2010 at 12:30 · Filed under Personal

Καλημέρα/Kalimera!*

That’s the 2010 tourism motto for Greece, backed with a budget of €12 million.

The deputy minister of tourism and culture said they chose a simple, widely known Greek word that symbolically encapsulates Greece and tourism, which will be the focus of 10 TV commercials set to the music of Manos Hadjidakis.

Good job on saving letters due to the country’s debt crisis and making no false claims. Points off for choosing a motto that must first be translated for anyone who can’t understand Greek, which is pretty much everyone who isn’t Greek or has never been to Greece, the very audience being targeted by a tourism campaign. Ironic.

The Greek National Tourist Organisation (GNTO/EOT) Web site still advertises Greece with the 2009 tagline, “A Masterpiece You Can Afford.” With a plethora of new taxes on everything, that no longer applies.

*Kalimera means good day or good morning.

Sources

“Kalimera is country’s new tourism motto” – Kathimerini
“«Καλημέρα» από Ελλάδα” — Ta Nea

Related posts

“Live Your Myth in Greece 2008”
“Three-day ticket for unlimited travel in Athens”
“Do I need a visa for Greece?”

Image from eKathimerini.com

http://bit.ly/kalimera

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2010 Tax deadlines for Greece

March 1, 2010 at 17:30 · Filed under DOY (Eforia) - Taxes

Tax deadlines are determined by the category of filing and final digits of an individual’s AFM (Greek tax number), and married couples file on one form using the husband’s AFM to determine the deadline.

Annual tax forms (E1) are sent to the address used the previous year, or your current residence if you moved and remembered to file an address change as required by law. Forms can also be picked up in person at any eforia (DOY) location; they are not available online for download. If employing an accountant, he/she will often provide you with a completed, printed tax declaration suitable for filing and will not need your E1.

Electronic filing can be done online in Greek only at www.gsis.gr or taxisnet.gr with the recommendation of completing the process at least five (5) days before the final date; and tax returns filed by mail should be sent in a special envelope from ELTA (Greek National Postal Service) and postmarked by the deadline. Taxpayers that miss the deadline will be penalized one percent for each month on the amount due or up to €1,200 if exempt.

To find out whether you need to file, please consult an adept accountant, read “Who needs to file taxes in Greece” or call/visit the eforia (DOY) nearest your legal residence to inquire. Locations can be found at “List of DOY-Eforia Tax Offices in Greece” in English or any map book available at a periptero (kiosk). There is no centralized eforia Web site; all business is normally conducted in person and in Greek.

*New arrivals to Greece: The 2010 tax filing applies to all tax/income activity for the year 2009.

2010 Deadlines

Deadlines were scheduled to start today, March 1, in the order of:
1) Self-employed, category ‘A’ and ‘B’
2) Farmers
3) Self-employed professionals, category ‘C’
4) Board members, Greeks/foreigners not living in or earning income from Greece but are obligated to file
5) Salaried workers, pensioners, military, Greeks/foreigners abroad who derive income from Greece.

However, forms were delayed due to changes in the tax system, and deadlines extended for the self-employed in category ‘A’ and ‘B’, so farmers will start filing first this year. That also means there will be some overlap in deadlines and Easter occurs in the same period, resulting in less staff, longer lines and short fuses. Keep that in mind if you plan to wait to the last minute.

Farmers – Agricultural income

Self-employed, Category ‘A’ or ‘B’

Self-employed, Category ‘C’ (Gamma)

Board members, plus taxpayers who do not reside or derive income from Greece but are obliged to file

Salaried workers, retirees/pensioners, military in Greece; Greeks/foreigners living abroad but deriving income from Greece

Employers were obligated to provide salaried workers with the necessary taxis paper by the legal deadline of February 16.

Important note

Please note that I am not an accountant and cannot dispense tax advice or answers specific to your household, but I have provided the tools and resources necessary to start you on the right path.

For the past six years, I have employed an amazing accountant who files my forms for a small fee. If you need a recommendation, it’s best to ask someone you know and trust.

Sources

– Dates and information were translated from Greek to English using the 2010 Greek Tax Handbook from the Ministry of Finance
– Info gathered from 12 years of experience with the eforia and completing my own tax forms
– “My Wallet – Eforia” — Eleftherotypia
– “Παράταση για τις δηλώσεις εισοδήματος” — Eleftherotypia

Related posts

“DOY/Eforia – Greek tax office locations”
“Taxes and receipts in Greece”
“Who must file taxes in Greece?”
“How to get an AFM – Greek tax number”

Image capture from Eleftherotypia at enet.gr

http://bit.ly/GR2010tax

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