Over-taxation of families with children in Greece

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in a report on its 34 member-states, highlighted the levels of over-taxation in Greece and noted that families with children were taxed more compared with taxpayers without a family.

According to these figures, and after taking in mind family benefits, families with children in Greece were taxed by three percentage points more than taxpayers without a family, while in the OECD taxation of families with children was by nine percentage points lower. Belgium (40.6 pct) and France (40.5 pct) followed Greece in taxation of families with children, while the lowest taxation levels were recorded in New Zealand (3.8 pct), Chile (7.0 pct), Switzerland (9.8 pct) and Ireland (9.9 pct).

Greece ranked 14th among OECD countries in taxation of taxpayers without a family. The report showed that the percentage of taxes and social insurance contributions on wages accounted for 40.4 pct (39.1 pct in 2000), from 36 pct on average in the OECD.