The Government estimates that 36,000 Portuguese owe the Social Security department money so has decided to reintroduce an openly available debtors list with a June start date.
The measure is part of yet another new plan to combat fraud and ‘contributory evasion,’ and the government expects to rake in €200 million from individuals and businesses that have been unable or unwilling to get their payments up-to-date.
From now on the list of debtors will be refreshed three times a year: June, September and December and in the June 2016 release a list of companies that owe €50,000 or more and individuals owing more than €25,000 will be open for all to see.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, the first 7,700 debtors have been advised that their names are about to be published on the black list in an effort to shame them into paying up.
The list of companies and individuals that owe the Tax Authority money already is available:
http://www.e-financas.gov.pt/de/pubdiv/de-devedores.html
