For a long time Latvian residents have been negative the most towards people who refuse to voluntarily pay child support. Tolerance towards people who don’t pay tax, duty and administrative fees remains the highest, according to results of a survey done by SKDS and Council of Sworn Bailiffs.
Results show that over the last several years the negative attitude towards people who avoid paying child support has gone down slightly. People in Latvia have started condemning people who don’t pay taxes and duties slightly more, however.
The 2022 survey results show that 74% of respondents are very negative towards people who choose not to pay child support. This is a drop of two percentage points when compared to 2019, when 76% of residents were very negative.
Compared to 2018, this is a drop of three percentage points (77%). Similarly to before, women are relatively more negative towards people who don’t pay child support – 63% of women and 53% of men are very negative.
People who refuse to pay child support and alimony remain the most condemned group of debtors in Latvia. The situation is completely different historically in relation to people who don’t pay taxes and duties. People in Latvia are generally tolerant the most towards such people. Only 54% of respondents are very negative towards these people.
The survey performed in 2018 indicated that only 50% of respondents condemned tax avoidance.
Changes are also observed among neutrally-minded people, where a drop is observed: from 31% in 2018 to 27% in 2022.
Chairperson of Council of Sworn Bailiffs Iveta Kruka comments: «Results of the survey indicate that people who don’t pay child support and people who refuse to cover costs of damages caused by their actions receive the most condemnation from residents. Condemnation of tax avoiders has increased as well. This may indicate a shared understanding that such debts not only form virtual debt for the country, but also represent all the money from taxpayers that is lost.»
Residents remain negatively towards debtors that intentionally do not pay compensation to victims of criminal cases, such as compensation for permanent injuries or death suffered as a result of a crime (73%).
Comparatively less condemnation is projected towards people who refuse to pay administrative fines. 25% of residents consider such behaviour very negatively and 33% consider are mostly negative.
The survey in 2022 was carried out by SKDS following a request from the Council of Sworn Bailiffs. 1 005 respondents aged 18 to 75 years participated in it. The survey was performed for the third consecutive year to determine residents’ beliefs in regards to debt collection and related topics.
Court bailiffs are state officials whose duty it is to ensure compliance with court verdicts in the interest of the state and society.