At the beginning of February 2023, the electronic marketplace for applying for the Market Pass will open, and from the end of February, it is expected that the first payments will be made and will be completed in July 2023.
Market Pass payments will be made in the first week of each month. With Market Pass, a 10% subsidy is provided for purchases by households that meet the inclusion criteria in supermarkets and other food retail businesses (bakery, convenience stores, fruit, vegetable, butcher, and fish stores, dairy, etc.).
State financial assistance to citizens of the country concerns approximately 8,500,000 people. The subsidy is provided to households whose members are considered to be spouses or a couple who have entered into a cohabitation agreement, their dependent children, other dependent members and invitees (shown in the income statement in the line – family composition. These may be adult children living with parents).
The monthly purchase limit for a 10% assisted household is €220 for a one-member household, increasing by €100 for each additional household member, up to €1,000.
Examples of the monthly purchase limit and the amount of assistance (Market Pass):
● Singles who spend 220 euros per month on purchases will receive 22 euros per month as a subsidy.
● Couple without children: 320 euros per month for purchases, 32 euros per month as a subsidy.
● Single-parent family with one dependent child: 320 euros per month for purchases, 32 euros per month as a subsidy.
● Single-parent family with two dependent children: 420 euros per month for purchases, 42 euros per month as a subsidy.
● Couple with a dependent child: 420 euros per month for purchases, 42 euros per month as a subsidy.
● Couple with two dependent children: 520 euros per month for purchases, 52 euros per month as a subsidy.
● Couple with three dependent children: 620 euros per month for purchases, 62 euros per month as a subsidy.
● Couple with four dependent children: €720 per month for purchases, €72 per month as a subsidy.
The above amounts will bebe credited monthly to a digital debit card that can only be used at food retail outlets.
In case the beneficiary intends to receive the payment to his/her bank account, the amount will be paid quarterly and will be 80% of the above amounts.
Beneficiaries and criteria for joining the program
Beneficiaries of the subsidy program are individuals who are single/married, widowed/widowed, or cohabiting, separated or divorced.
In particular, for persons who are married or who have entered into a cohabitation agreement, the beneficiary is the person who is obliged to file an income tax return in accordance with article 67 of Law 4172/2013, or one of the two in the case of filing a separate return.
Individuals are eligible for assistance if they meet the following criteria:
Their annual total family income, regardless of the source of its origin, real and imputed, is:
- up to EUR 16,000 for an unmarried or widowed or separated person, and
- €24,000 for a married citizen and married persons or parties to a cohabitation agreement or individuals who entered into a cohabitation agreement and submitted a joint tax return without children, which increases by €5,000 for each dependent child .
Similarly, for a single parent family, the above income is up to EUR 24,000, which is increased by EUR 5,000 for each dependent child, other dependent member and guest member (adult child living with parents). The total annual family income does not include what is collectively exempt from income tax.
The total value of real estate arising from the act of administrative determination ΕΝΦΙΑ 2022 should not exceed 250,000 euros for single, widowed or separated citizens and 400,000 euros for married or cohabiting persons and families with one parent.
The following are excluded from assistance:
- Individuals who are listed on the Personal Income Tax Declaration as dependent members (in accordance with Article 11 of Law 4172/2013).
- Individuals who declare in their Personal Income Tax Declaration that they are not required to pay it.
- Individuals subject to wealth tax.
- Foreign tax residents.
- Individuals who have not submitted their 2021 income tax return by December 31, 2022.
To determine the above benefits, the data of the declaration for the 2021 tax year, drawn up as of December 31, 2022, are used.
How to claim your Market Pass
The individual beneficiary (the person responsible for filing the income tax return, or one of the two spouses/participants in the case of filing a separate return) logs into the relevant electronic platform at gov.gr using taxisnet codes, where eligibility and monthly spending are confirmed for shopping.
The citizen can then use a digital debit card or receive assistance in their bank account.
In the case of receiving assistance to a bank account, he receives 80% of the assistance amount quarterly and can use this amount at his discretion.
In case of use digital debit card, the full amount of assistance is credited monthly, and in particular, the first credit is made until the end of February 2023, and then during the first week of each month.
Beneficiary Cost Calculation
It is estimated that 83% of households meet the income criterion and 95% of households meet the ownership criterion. Potential beneficiaries are estimated at around 3.2 million households (out of 4.1 million households) with around 8.5 million members (out of 10.4 million population).
The average purchase limit is estimated at around 380 euros and covers purchases of around 1.2 billion euros per month.
Expenses for six months, assuming that about half of the households decide to use a debit digital card, will amount to about 650 million euros.
All expenses will be covered by the budget reserve allocated to combat the energy crisis and inflation.
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