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The first instance of the Athens administrative court declared to be anti constitutional the additional tax imposed on the high annual incomes which the government of New democracy introduced for the 2007 tax year. This additional measure of the government of Kostas Karamanlis affected 128 thousand tax payers who had to pay additional money at the amount of 1000 euro to 2500 euro on top of the already calculated tax on the total income. This amount depends on the declared annual income. The additional income for the government coming from the collected in the year 2008 amount is 320 million euro.

The political observers consider the court ruling to be a “chronicle of a notified death” because of the fact that since the time they were a political opposition, the parliamentary group of PASOK announced to be against the introduction of the special measure. According to sources from the legal societies currently there are 2000 claims filed for the cancellation of the payments of the imposed amounts under the additional tax and it is expected the ruling of the Supreme court which is supposed to be announced in the middle of 2010. After the announcement of the final court ruling the government will have to pay back or to deduct the collected in 2008 amounts with an interest of 6% - 7,5% which the administrative courts have the practice to impose in favor of the plaintiff. In case the Supreme court also decides that the additional tax on the high annual incomes for 2007 is anti constitutional, all 128 thousand people will have the right to file claims for the return of the paid funds with the interest imposed by the court.