Governments chase property tax dodgers in Europe

As the European financial crises crashes on tax inspectors will turn the spotlight on owners of Property in Spain, Greece and Italy to crackdown on home owners who rent out their properties without paying the obligatory taxes.

International holidaymakers who flock to the sunny European destinations often prefer to stay in privately owned villas and apartments rather than book into established package holiday hotels and this type of tax evasion by holiday home owners is reputed to be endemic among these nations.

As a result of the current debt crisis EU governments are raising taxes in all areas in order to fight insolvency. In the past there has been a culture of turning a blind eye to this type of property tax evasion but in the current crisis this is no long a viable option.

To date more than 200,000 Spanish property owners have been investigated on non-payment of property taxes and according to experts that is just a drop in the ocean.