Inheritance and Estate Tax in Greece

Greece levies inheritance tax on the recipient, not on the estate itself. Each heir pays separately according to their relationship to the deceased, applying the rate scale that matches their category. The governing statute is Law 2961/2001 (Code on Taxation of Inheritances and Gifts), most recently codified and updated by Law 5219/2025 published in July 2025.

Who falls into which category, and what rates apply?

Greek law divides all beneficiaries into three categories. Category A covers the deceased's closest relatives: spouse (or civil-partnership partner of two or more years standing), children, grandchildren, and parents. Each Category A heir receives a EUR 150,000 tax-free allowance. Amounts above that threshold are taxed progressively: 1 percent on the slice from EUR 150,001 to EUR 300,000; 5 percent from EUR 300,001 to EUR 600,000; and 10 percent on anything above EUR 600,000. Where the deceased is survived by a spouse together with minor children and no other heirs, the tax-free allowance rises to EUR 400,000 per beneficiary in that group, reflecting Greece's strong legislative preference for protecting the surviving family unit.

Category B covers more distant relatives: siblings, grandparents, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, step-relations, and in-laws. The Category B tax-free amount is EUR 30,000. Above that: 5 percent on the slice from EUR 30,001 to EUR 100,000; 10 percent from EUR 100,001 to EUR 300,000; and 20 percent above EUR 300,000.

Category C applies to everyone else: cousins, unrelated friends, legal entities, and any person not falling in A or B. The tax-free amount is EUR 6,000. Above that: 20 percent on amounts from EUR 6,001 to EUR 72,000; 30 percent from EUR 72,001 to EUR 267,000; and 40 percent above EUR 267,000.

A separate first-dwelling exemption (EUR 200,000 to EUR 250,000 depending on marital status, plus increments per child) may shield the inherited principal residence from the main rate scale when Category A heirs have no other home of their own.

How does the EUR 800,000 parental grant work?

Greece introduced a favourable gift and parental provision regime for Category A effective 1 October 2021. Under this regime, a parent (or any Category A person) may transfer any asset type to a Category A beneficiary free of gift tax up to a cumulative lifetime allowance of EUR 800,000 per donor-recipient pair, measured from 1 October 2021 onwards. Assets covered include cash, real estate, shares, and business interests.

For monetary gifts, the transfer must pass through a bank or other supervised financial institution to qualify. Declarations are submitted digitally via the AADE myPROPERTY platform within 30 days before or at the point of transfer. Once the EUR 800,000 allowance is exhausted across all transfers between the same two persons since October 2021, the 10 percent gift tax rate applies to every additional euro. The allowance does not reset annually; it is a single lifetime bucket.

For Category B recipients, monetary gifts are taxed at a flat 20 percent with no comparable large allowance. For Category C recipients, the flat rate is 40 percent. Non-monetary (in-kind) gifts to all categories follow the same progressive scales as inheritance tax rather than the flat gift rates.

What is the territorial scope?

Greece taxes inheritance on a residence basis. A Greek tax resident at the time of death has their worldwide estate subject to Greek inheritance tax, regardless of where assets are physically located. A non-resident deceased has only Greek-sited assets exposed to Greek inheritance tax; foreign assets of a non-resident fall outside Greek jurisdiction. Heirs inherit this consequence: a Greek-resident heir receiving assets from a non-resident abroad owes Greek inheritance tax only on the Greek-sited portion. Double-tax relief is available where Greece has a relevant treaty, or via unilateral credit under domestic law for foreign taxes paid on the same inherited asset.

What are the filing deadlines and how is tax paid?

Heirs must file an inheritance tax declaration with the competent AADE tax office. The standard deadline is 6 months from the date of death (or from publication of the will, when a will is published after death). Where the deceased or the heirs were residing abroad at the time of death, the deadline extends to 12 months. An additional 3-month extension may be granted on written application to the tax office.

Tax is assessed after the declaration is processed. Heirs may pay in up to 12 monthly instalments when the assessed tax exceeds EUR 3,000. Late filing carries a 20 percent surcharge on the tax owed, plus monthly interest.

Greek inheritance tax rate summary

The three-tier structure rewards close family relationships with both the lowest rates and the largest exemptions, while applying progressively heavier burdens as the family connection grows more distant.

Practical context: what does this mean for an estate?

For a Category A heir receiving an estate valued at EUR 500,000, the first EUR 150,000 is exempt, leaving EUR 350,000 taxable. The tax is: 1 percent of EUR 150,000 (EUR 1,500) plus 5 percent of EUR 50,000 (EUR 2,500) = EUR 4,000 total, an effective rate of 0.8 percent on the total estate. This positions Greece among the more generous EU family-line inheritance frameworks.

For a Category C recipient receiving the same EUR 500,000, the first EUR 6,000 is exempt. The tax is: 20 percent of EUR 66,000 (EUR 13,200) plus 30 percent of EUR 195,000 (EUR 58,500) plus 40 percent of EUR 233,000 (EUR 93,200) = EUR 164,900 total, an effective rate of nearly 33 percent. The contrast underscores how dramatically relationship category affects the final liability.

For a deeper review of residency interactions and estate-planning context alongside the Greece country overview, consult a qualified tax professional who holds Greek bar membership or a licensed Greek tax accountant (Logistis Forotechnikos) authorised to represent before AADE.