Poppycock.

Greek Tax Avoidance 101

Vangelis Vasilopoulos is the chief engineer for a company which builds swimming pools in the wealthy northern suburbs of Athens, home to ship-owners and tycoons like Spyros Latsis, one of the richest men in the world, who hosts Prince Charles on his travels to Greece…

Mr Vasilopoulos says his company has been “inundated with calls” from residents of such elite residential neighbourhoods as to how to camouflage their swimming pools. At first blush, the requests seem bizarre.

In fact, they stem from the revelation that the Greek finance ministry is using Google Earth software to track down the owners of the pools, which tax inspectors consider an indicator of wealth, and which have often been built illegally.

“There are therefore two reasons to hide one’s swimming pool,” said a pool-owner who confessed guilt on both counts and, not surprisingly, asked not to be named.

Fortunately for him, however, there is a ingenious solution.

“The formula is simple,” said Mr Vasilopoulos. “All you need is a green-coloured cover and then the pool cannot be spotted from above. But if the water is visible, or the netting or cover is blue, then you’ve had it”.

jpierrepontcriss:

my mom was pulling into a parking space today and she asked “am i relatively straight?” and i said “i think that’s something you need to decide for yourself” and she told me to walk home