Greek Hoteliers Want Tax Exemption on Uncollected Thomas Cook Payments

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Greek hoteliers are requesting they be exempt from paying taxes on invoice amounts still owed by UK travel group Thomas Cook, which declared bankruptcy in September 2019.

In a letter to the Finance Ministry, the Hellenic Hoteliers Federation (POX) is calling on the government to take immediate action on the issue and to exempt hotel owners of “paying taxes for amounts they neither received nor will receive” as foreseen by a relevant Council of State decision.

“In the midst of the unprecedented circumstances we are all facing, at a time when hotel companies are literally struggling for their survival with zero liquidity, it is unfair to be forced to go to court and be further financially burdened by a just claim, the legal validity of which is already judged by the highest court of the country,” POX said.

Hoteliers request revisions to Development Law

The federation is also calling on the finance, development and tourism ministers to proceed with a series of revisions to the government’s Development Law with a particular focus on tax breaks in an effort to mitigate losses due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Among others, POX is also calling for additional incentives to be provided to investments including increasing support to 10 million euros for projects as applied to small enterprises under General Entrepreneurship and expanding incentives for new enterprises across the country.