It is believed that at least half of all Greeks do not pay the entire amount of taxes that they should, while given the option, nearly one in two would refuse a receipt, thereby contributing to tax evasion by others too, according to a survey by GPO for the National Confederation of Greek Commerce (ESEE).

The findings point to the fact that many Greeks still do not see tax dodging as a bad thing, even now that the country is trying to emerge from its deepest financial crisis in recent memory. Crucially, 94.1 percent said they would collect receipts if it were to their own benefit.

The 1,600 people and 1,000 enterprises surveyed suggested that over half of Greeks (53 percent) systematically evade paying taxes by hiding their true incomes, although only 16.4 percent admit to doing so, while 46.3 percent responded that they had allowed other people to avoid paying taxes by not getting receipts.

Topping the tax evasion list, as the respondents see it, are doctors (according to 88.6 percent of those surveyed), followed by tradesmen (85.4 percent), law and notary firms (75.2 percent), food catering stores (57.9 percent) and fuel stations (44.1 percent). Supermarkets were put at the bottom of the list with 17.7 percent.