Former Moldovan government spokesperson Daniel Vodă recently offered financial advice to citizens just as many residents began receiving property tax bills reflecting significantly higher amounts.
Vodă recommended paying property taxes through the government’s EVO application, which offers cashback by returning a percentage of the payment amount. In a social media post, he wrote:
“I discovered that if you pay using Apple Pay or a Mastercard issued by a bank in the Republic of Moldova, you can immediately receive 10% cashback on the transaction amount. I tested it myself—it works. I had to pay 1,100 lei, and right after the payment I received 80 lei back.”
Many observers quickly pointed out that 10% of 1,100 lei equals 110 lei, not 80. The arithmetic error drew attention because Vodă, who previously held a senior position in a PAS-led government, had often presented himself as a competent and well-educated public official.
The mistake might have been amusing were it not for the growing concern surrounding property taxes in Moldova.
Beginning in 2026, the Moldovan authorities launched a nationwide reassessment of cadastral property values affecting more than six million properties. According to expert estimates, property taxes may increase two- or threefold, and in some cases by as much as six or seven times.
For example, the cadastral value of a two-room apartment in Durlești reportedly rose from 182,000 lei to 474,000 lei. Authorities argue that the increases are necessary to align the tax base with real market values. However, many citizens fear that even modest homes could effectively become subject to what critics describe as a “luxury tax.”
Under current rules, the luxury property tax threshold is set at 200 average monthly salaries in the economy. In 2026, that benchmark amounts to approximately 3.48 million lei.
