Tax in Greece

Who is the tax authority?

The Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE — Ανεξάρτητη Αρχή Δημοσίων Εσόδων), established under Law 4389/2016, is Greece's autonomous tax authority. It operates through regional DOY offices and the Centre for Large Taxpayers.

Filings go through the myAADE portal (formerly TAXISnet). Customs sits under AADE as a separate directorate. The substantive law base is the Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013), the VAT Code (Law 2859/2000), and the Tax Procedure Code (Law 4987/2022).

The principal credentialed tax-and-accounting profession is Λογιστής Φοροτέχνης (Accountant-Tax Specialist), regulated by the Economic Chamber of Greece (OEE) under Law 2515/1997. Ορκωτός Ελεγκτής Λογιστής (Certified Public Accountant), regulated by ELTE, handles the audit side.

What is the tax year and when are returns due?

Greece uses the calendar year (1 January to 31 December). Individual returns are due 31 July of the following year — though ministerial decisions have extended this to late August or September in recent years. Greece does not operate an automatic-assessment framework; most residents file annually.

Corporate fiscal years may differ from the calendar year. Returns are due by the end of the seventh month after fiscal year-end. Three advance-tax instalments accompany the following year's return.

Who counts as a Greek tax resident?

Article 4 of the Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013) sets three tests — meet any one and you become a Greek tax resident:

• Maintain a permanent or main residence, habitual abode, or centre of vital interests in Greece
• Spend more than 183 days in Greece in any 12-month period
• Serve as a Greek consular or diplomatic officer abroad

Residents pay tax on worldwide income. Non-residents pay tax only on Greek-source income. OECD-model tie-breakers apply for dual-residents.

Deep-dive: see expat and cross-border tax in Greece for the practical rules around mid-year moves.

What are the personal income tax rates?

Greece applies five progressive brackets on employment, pension, and business income:

Rates shown apply from tax year 2026 under the 2026 reform, which also cut rates further for families with dependent children (down to 0% in the EUR 10,000-20,000 band for four or more children) and set a 0% rate on income up to EUR 20,000 for workers under 25.

The solidarity surcharge (εισφορά αλληλεγγύης) was abolished for private-sector wages and business income from January 2023 — a significant effective-rate reduction. It remains for civil servants and pensioners above EUR 12,000.

Investment income is taxed at flat rates: dividends 5%, interest 15%, royalties 20%. Rental income follows a separate 15–45% progressive framework. Capital gains on real estate held more than 5 years are exempt for individuals; gains on listed shares face 15% (with retail investor exemptions).

Deep-dive: see self-employed tax in Greece for the minimum-deemed-income reform under Law 5073/2023.

What are the inbound-resident special regimes?

Greece runs three inbound-resident frameworks under the Income Tax Code — a key competitive response to other Mediterranean non-dom and flat-tax regimes.

All three regimes gained prominence after Portugal closed its Non-Habitual Residency scheme in December 2023. Elected residents retain treaty access for Greek-source outbound flows.

How does corporate tax work?

The corporate income tax (CIT) rate is 22% — reduced from 24% on tax year 2022 onward. The 22% rate applies to all corporate-resident profits with no separate SME tier.

Withholding on outbound dividends to non-residents is 5% — low by EU standards. Interest withheld at 15%; royalties at 20%. The EU Parent-Subsidiary Directive reduces qualifying intra-EU dividends (10%+ shareholding, 24-month hold) to 0%.

Pillar Two QDMTT and IIR apply from fiscal years starting 31 December 2023 under Law 5100/2024. In-scope MNEs face the 15% global minimum alongside Greece's 22% headline rate.

Deep-dive: see small business tax in Greece for sole-trader and incorporated comparison.

What are the VAT rates?

Greece's VAT (Φόρος Προστιθέμενης Αξίας — FPA) has a standard rate of 24% and two reduced tiers.

The registration threshold is EUR 10,000 annual turnover under the small-enterprise exemption (transposing EU Directive 2020/285). Above that, VAT registration is mandatory.

Greece's myDATA (my Digital Accounting and Tax Application) e-invoicing system has been mandatory for B2B invoicing since 1 November 2021 and for B2G since September 2023. Invoices report to AADE within 24 hours — one of the EU's most rigorous real-time VAT frameworks.

Special reduced rates apply on certain Aegean islands (partial, progressively narrowed under EU state-aid review). ENFIA (real-estate tax) is assessed annually from September. Real-estate transfer tax is 3% of transfer value.

Deep-dive: see VAT and sales tax in Greece for the full FPA mechanics.

What is the treaty network?

Greece has approximately 57 active double tax treaties. Major partners include all EU member states plus the United States (1953), the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Canada, China, and most Mediterranean and Eastern European economies.

Greece signed the OECD MLI on 7 June 2017. Ratification was deposited on 30 March 2021, with MLI modifications entering force from 1 July 2021 depending on the counterparty. The Principal Purpose Test applies. Greece adopted a simplified Limitation-on-Benefits clause and reserved on mandatory binding arbitration.

Deep-dive: see tax treaty relief in Greece for the bilateral rate schedules.

How are cryptoassets taxed?

Greece has no dedicated cryptoasset tax law. AADE Decision A 1112/2018 and follow-on rulings treat cryptoasset gains by analogy. Occasional trading gains generally fall outside taxable income categories under the general capital-gains framework. Regular or professional trading is taxable as business income at progressive 9–44% rates.

Deep-dive: see crypto taxation in Greece for how AADE's analogous-categorisation approach applies in practice.

Where does Greece sit in the EU Mediterranean cohort?

Greece anchors the EU Mediterranean income-tax cohort alongside Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and Malta. All six are full EU and Eurozone members with progressive PIT, standard CIT, and EU VAT Directive compliance.

The 2010–2018 sovereign-debt crisis — practitioner context

Greece entered a severe sovereign-debt crisis in 2010, triggering three international bailout programs from the IMF, EU, and ECB. The economy contracted sharply and Greece became the first developed country to default to the IMF (2015). The program ended in August 2018; post-program surveillance followed.

The Greek economy returned to investment-grade status with S&P in 2023, the first ratings upgrade since the crisis. EU Recovery and Resilience Facility funds (circa EUR 36 billion) are active through 2026.

Common pitfalls and penalties

Foreigners and inbound assignees trip on a consistent set of traps when operating in Greece:

Currency and EU membership

Greece replaced the drachma with the euro on 1 January 2001. EUR membership eliminates currency risk for intra-Eurozone transactions. The legal system is civil law (Continental European, Roman-influenced).

When should you talk to a Greek tax pro?

Some situations are straightforward through myAADE. Others involve enough complexity that a credentialed Greek Λογιστής Φοροτέχνης or Big-4 firm is the right call:

• You are considering an Article 5A, 5B, or 5C inbound-regime application
• You have cross-border income involving the US–Greece DTA (1953 text) or another older treaty
• Your structure involves Greek shipping, tonnage tax, or ship management
• You received an AADE notice, audit letter, or pothen-esches (πόθεν έσχες) query
• Your income exceeds EUR 40,000 and you are not using the myAADE portal for self-assessment
• You are a self-employed professional subject to Law 5073/2023 minimum-deemed-income rules
• You operate a company in Greece with cross-border related-party transactions (transfer pricing)
• You hold cryptoassets and need to establish correct categorisation before the 2027 DAC8 exchange

You can find vetted Greece practitioners through the directory below.

This page is general information. It is not personal guidance for your specific situation. Tax rules change. Always check current figures on the AADE website or with a licensed Greek practitioner before filing.