Taxes in Greece

Greece tax rates in 2026 at a glance

A cheat sheet of the 2026 rules after the tax reform (Law 5246/2025). Details and worked examples follow below.

If another guide shows a scale of 9, 22, 28, 36 and 44%, those are the rates up to and including 2025. The special solidarity contribution that many articles still mention was abolished for all income earned from 1 January 2023.

Compare taxes in 146 countries: relocation taxes 2026

Who is a Greek tax resident

A Greek tax resident pays tax on worldwide income, a non-resident only on income from Greek sources. The tests are set out in Article 4 of the Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013), and meeting any one of them is enough.

The rule that hurts newcomers most is the first-day rule: once you pass 183 days, you are resident from the date you arrived, not from day 184, and worldwide income for that whole period goes into the return. The centre of vital interests is judged on all personal and economic ties together, so a family and business in Greece can make someone resident with fewer days.

If domestic rules make you resident in two countries at once, the tie-breaker tests of the double tax treaty decide: permanent home, centre of interests, habitual abode, nationality. The general logic of counting days is covered in our piece on tax residence and the 183-day rule.

Leaving Greek residence does not happen automatically. The person leaving files an application to change status, appoints a tax representative in Greece and proves residence in another country, for example with a certificate. The application is filed early in the following year and the documents no later than 31 December of that year. Until this is done, the tax office can keep treating you as resident.

Greece tax residency: how to become a resident and count the days

Greece makes you resident if any 12 months hold more than 183 days, and short trips do not break the count. Without counting, a permanent home, habitual abode or centre of vital interests in Greece makes you resident.

Where the family lives, the children go to school and the business runs is where your centre of interests is. A resident pays progressive income tax on worldwide income, a non-resident only on Greek income. The status is confirmed by an Independent Authority for Public Revenue certificate.

Mistakes cost more: a summer in Crete plus a spring in Athens add up to 184 days faster than a holiday ends. Murblz support removes these risks: we count the rolling window, assess your ties and obtain the certificate. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first filing.

Talk to a manager now

Personal income tax: the new 2026 scale and a salary example

Salary, pension and sole trader profit are added together and taxed on one progressive scale. From 1 January 2026 Law 5246/2025 cut the middle rates by 2 points and added a 39% band for $45,000-68,000 (€40,000-60,000), previously taxed at 44%. The rate now also depends on the number of dependent children.

Young people get a separate break: up to age 25 the rate on the first $23,000 (€20,000) of income is zero, and from 26 to 30 the $12,000-23,000 (€10,000-20,000) band is taxed at 9% instead of 20%. If someone qualifies for more than one relief, the more favourable rate applies in each band. The age and child rates also apply to self-employed profit, but not to a company.

Employees and pensioners get a tax credit deducted from the tax itself: $870 (€777) with no children, $1,100 (€900) with one child, $1,260 (€1,120) with two, $1,500 (€1,340) with three, $1,800 (€1,580) with four and $2,000 (€1,780) with five, plus $250 (€220) for each child above five. Where taxable salary exceeds $13,500 (€12,000), the credit falls by €20 for every €1,000 above that level. Sole traders and freelancers do not get this credit, so their tax starts from the first euro.

Example: what is left of a salary

In Greece salary is paid 14 times a year: 12 monthly payments, a Christmas bonus, half a month at Easter and half a month for holidays. Below is an annual calculation for a resident over 30 with no children. The calculation is simplified, with the credit reduced pro rata.

The same salary gives quite different tax by family and age.

Two rules people learn about too late

Mandatory electronic spending. At least 30% of actual income from salary, business and rent has to be spent by card or another electronic method, with the required amount capped at $23,000 (€20,000). If you spend less, 22% of the shortfall is added to your tax.

Deemed income. The tax office compares declared income with living costs (home, cars, private schools, a boat) and with asset purchases (property, shares, loan repayments). If the deemed income is higher than the real one, the difference is taxed as salary or business profit. Buying a flat or a car in Greece needs a documented source of funds in advance, for example a transfer from abroad.

EFKA social security: employees, employers and the self-employed

Social insurance in Greece is run by a single fund, e-EFKA. Since 1 January 2025 employees have 13.37% withheld and the employer pays another 21.79% on top, 35.16% in total. Contributions are charged on each of the 14 payments but not above the monthly cap, which in 2026 is $8,700 (€7,761.94). Mandatory contributions reduce the income subject to income tax.

The minimum wage has been $1,100 (€920) gross a month since 1 April 2026 (Ministerial Decision 8934/2026). At the Thessaloniki fair in September 2026 the government announced a further 0.5 point cut in private sector contributions from April 2027 and a rise of the minimum wage to $1,130 (€1,000) by January 2028; for now these are announcements, not law.

The self-employed and freelancers pay not a percentage of income but a fixed amount for the category they choose, even in months with no revenue. The 2026 amounts under e-EFKA Circular 6/2026:

An unemployment insurance contribution of $15 (€10) a month is added on top. If the special category is not open to you, the minimum is the first category, about $3,500 (€3,130) a year including the unemployment contribution.

Corporate tax and dividends

The corporate income tax rate for Greek companies and permanent establishments of foreign firms is 22%, as it has been since 2021. Banks in the deferred tax asset regime pay 29%, agricultural cooperatives 10%. Dividends are taxed at source at 5%, and for an individual that is the final tax.

For comparison, a sole trader with no children and a profit of $68,000 (€60,000) pays $19,000 (€16,700) on the scale, or 27.8%, plus fixed contributions. So at higher profits a company (usually an IKE, a private company) is often cheaper, while at modest profits, for under-30s and for parents, working as an individual can win, because child and age rates do not apply to a company. Setting up and running a company is covered on the page on company formation in Greece, and choosing a jurisdiction in general in the section on company registration abroad.

What else a company pays

Advance payment. Together with the tax for the year, a company pays an advance of 80% of the current year tax towards the next year. New companies have the advance halved for their first three years. The return is due by the last day of the sixth month after the year end.

Business levy. Companies still pay it, up to $1,130 (€1,000) a year depending on location. For sole traders and freelancers the levy was abolished by Law 5162/2024. The government has announced a phased abolition for companies in 2027-2029, but there is no law yet.

Losses. A loss can be carried forward for 5 years. International groups with revenue of $840 million (€750 million) or more fall under the 15% global minimum tax.

Controlled foreign companies. Greece has controlled foreign company rules (Article 66 of the code): passive profits of a foreign company can be taxed in Greece where control exceeds 50%, the foreign tax is low and passive income makes up more than 30%. Companies in the European Union and the European Economic Area with genuine activity fall outside the rule. An offshore or Cypriot structure should be reviewed before you change residence.

Opening an account for a Greek company is covered on the page on business accounts in Greece.

VAT: 24%, reduced 13% and 6%, and a $12,000 threshold

The standard value added tax rate in Greece is 24%, one of the highest in the European Union. Reduced rates apply only to goods and services expressly listed in the law.

Small business threshold. A business whose turnover in Greece does not exceed $11,300 (€10,000) in both the current and the previous year can work without value added tax under the special scheme for small enterprises. There is no transition period: once the threshold is exceeded, you must leave the scheme and start charging value added tax. For trading free of value added tax in other European Union countries there is a single scheme with a total turnover limit of $113,000 (€100,000) across the European Union. The $11,300 (€10,000) threshold is very low, so almost any active freelancer or consultant becomes a value added tax payer in the first year.

Filing. Companies and sole traders with double-entry books file value added tax returns monthly, those with simplified books quarterly; filing and payment are due by the last working day of the month after the period. Sales to consumers in other European Union countries above $11,300 (€10,000) a year are reported through the OSS system.

New builds. The first sale of a new building carries 24% value added tax by law, but this is suspended until 31 December 2026, and the buyer pays 3.09% transfer tax instead. The government has said the measure will stay, but check any extension against the date of your deal.

Special regimes: non-dom, pensioners, relocating professionals, freelancers and nomads

Greece's main tax draw is three regimes under Articles 5A, 5B and 5C of the Income Tax Code. All of them are for people who move their tax residence to Greece, and none of them gives the right to live in the country: a residence permit is a separate process.

Regime 5A pays off when foreign income runs into millions: on $1.13 million (€1 million) the rate is 10%. Foreign income is not declared, but foreign tax is not credited and Greek income is taxed under the general rules. People who move by 2 July can join from the year of arrival, those who move later from the following year. Law 5313/2026 moved the payment deadline for 5A and 5B to the last working day of December, and the application timetable is now set by an AADE decision. An investment made for the Greek golden visa may help meet the investment condition if it is at least $560,000 (€500,000), but how the tax office will treat a particular property should be checked before applying. Failing to pay means losing the regime.

Regime 5B suits pensioners with a large foreign pension or passive income. Both Greek and foreign income must be declared, and foreign tax is credited up to the Greek tax. The administrative cooperation condition and the workings of the tax treaty with the previous country of residence need to be checked separately; see below.

Regime 5C only covers new positions in Greece. A remote worker with a foreign employer does not directly qualify.

Freelancers and sole traders

Profit is taxed on the general 9-44% scale from the first euro, without the employee tax credit. On top come fixed EFKA contributions and an advance payment of 55% of the current year tax towards the next year. Under Law 5073/2023 there is a minimum deemed income for the self-employed: they are presumed to earn at least as much as a minimum-wage employee, with increases for years in business, for payroll and for turnover above the sector average. The presumption can be rebutted, and there are reliefs for newcomers and large families. In September 2026 the government announced dropping the turnover and payroll increases for compliant taxpayers from tax year 2026 and cutting the advance to 50% from 2027; the final rules depend on the law.

Digital nomads and IT

The digital nomad visa itself gives no tax relief. After 183 days in Greece you are resident and pay tax on worldwide income, including a foreign salary. See the Greece Digital Nomad Visa and the digital nomad residence permit. IT businesses can use the enhanced R&D deduction (an uplift of 100% or more), the option rules and a residence permit for start-up investors from $280,000 (€250,000).

Property, rent, inheritance, capital gains and crypto

Buying. The buyer pays property transfer tax of 3% of the taxable value, 3.09% with the municipal surcharge. On a $450,000 (€400,000) flat that is about $14,000 (€12,360). A first home is exempt up to $230,000 (€200,000) for a single buyer and $280,000 (€250,000) for a married one, plus $28,000 (€25,000) for each of the first two children. This is open to Greek and European Union citizens, ethnic Greeks from Albania, Turkey and the former Soviet Union, recognised refugees and long-term residents who live or plan to settle in Greece, but not to holders of an ordinary third-country residence permit.

The announced 15% for buyers from outside the European Union. In September 2026 the prime minister announced a rise in the transfer tax on homes bought by individuals from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area from 3% to 15%, or 15.45% with the surcharge. The finance minister named 1 July 2027 as the start date, instead of the 1 January 2027 initially mentioned. According to the statements, the measure will not affect European Union citizens, ethnic Greeks, long-term residents, purchases through companies or commercial property. At the time of writing there is no bill. See our analysis of the 15% tax for foreign buyers.

ENFIA. The annual property tax is assessed automatically from the E9 property return as at 1 January, based on location, size, use, age and floor of the property. Individuals pay a surcharge if the total value of their property exceeds $560,000 (€500,000). Insured homes get a discount of up to 20%, and in 2026 the tax on a main home in small villages outside Attica is halved. Greece has no general wealth tax.

Rent. Rental income is taxed separately from salary, and 5% of the income is deducted as repair and maintenance costs.

Short-term letting of up to two properties is taxed as rental income, from three properties as business activity, with 13% value added tax. Long-term letting of a home of up to 120 m² that was previously empty or let short term is tax free for 36 months if a lease of at least three years is signed between 8 September 2024 and 31 December 2026.

Capital gains. The 15% tax on gains from selling property is suspended until 31 December 2026 (Article 90 of Law 5162/2024); whether the pause will be extended should be checked before a sale. Gains on securities are taxed at 15%, except listed shares where the stake is below 0.5% and units in European Union UCITS funds. Sales of shares on the Greek exchange carry a 0.1% levy on the amount.

Inheritance and gifts. The tax is paid by the recipient, and the rate depends on the relationship.

For a spouse and minor children there is an exemption of up to $450,000 (€400,000) each. Gifts to children and parental grants in category A are taxed at 10% after a one-off tax-free allowance of $900,000 (€800,000). Greek tax covers all property in Greece and movable property abroad of Greek citizens or foreigners living in Greece, but not foreign real estate. Since 16 September 2026, under the new Law 5303/2026, heirs are not liable for the deceased's debts with their own assets.

Crypto. The code still has no dedicated article on crypto-assets, and crypto income is assessed under the general rules. In summer 2026 the government reported a bill with a 15% tax on crypto gains and the first $560 (€500) tax free, but at the time of writing it has not been passed. Since 1 January 2026 crypto platforms in the European Union report data to tax authorities under the DAC8 directive (in Greece Law 5301/2026), and the KEMEF large taxpayer audit centre lists crypto as an audit priority. A general overview is in our article on crypto and relocation.

Non-residents and withholding taxes

A non-resident pays Greek tax only on Greek income: salary for work in Greece, rent from Greek property, dividends and interest from Greek payers. Salary and rent are taxed on the same scales as for residents, but without the tax credit. The exception is European Union and European Economic Area residents who earn at least 90% of their worldwide income in Greece.

A non-resident files a return only if they have actual Greek income, even exempt income, which requires an AFM tax number and usually a tax representative. Deemed income from living costs does not apply to non-residents, but asset purchases in Greece are checked for the source of funds when there is Greek income.

Greece's double tax treaties

Greece has 58 double tax treaties in force. Among former Soviet states they cover Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. There are no treaties with Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan or Tajikistan on the list. There are also treaties with Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates (a new one, in force since 18 September 2025), Israel, Turkey, Serbia, the United Kingdom and the United States.

A Greek resident is taxed on worldwide income. Foreign tax is credited only up to the Greek tax on the same income, and only with apostilled documents translated into Greek.

The convention with Russia, signed on 26 June 2000, works only in part: since 8 August 2023 Russia has suspended Articles 5-22 and 24, the rules on almost every type of income, while on the Greek side the convention formally remains in force. Russia therefore withholds at its domestic rates, and Greece credits that tax only up to the Greek tax on the same income.

To apply a reduced rate in Greece, you need a tax residence certificate from the other country issued before the payment. Complex cases involving foreign assets are reviewed in advance by Murblz specialists.

Filing, deadlines, penalties and what it means if you move

Penalties. A late or missing return from an employee or pensioner costs $120 (€100), doubled for a repeat within 5 years and quadrupled after that. An inaccurate return costs 10%, 25% or 50% of the underpaid tax depending on the gap, and not filing costs 50% of the tax. Late payment costs 0.73% a month, or 8.76% a year. The tax office can assess additional tax within 5 years, and up to 10 years if no return was filed or new information emerges.

Who Greece suits and who it does not

It suits pensioners, the very wealthy, professionals on a Greek contract and families with children. 7% on all foreign income, a flat $113,000 (€100,000) a year, half of a salary tax free for 7 years and lower rates for parents and people under 30 are strong arguments.

It does not suit those looking for a territorial system. Residents pay on worldwide income, and outside the special regimes there is no exemption for foreign income.

It is hard on freelancers with modest income. Tax from the first euro, fixed contributions even with no revenue, a minimum deemed income and a value added tax threshold of only $11,300 (€10,000).

It is risky for people with income from countries without a working treaty. Foreign tax is credited only up to the Greek tax on the same income, and documents need an apostille and a translation.

Home buyers from third countries should model the 15% scenario. If the announced tax becomes law, a $450,000 (€400,000) purchase will cost about $55,000 (€49,000) more. According to the statements, European Union citizens and ethnic Greeks are not covered; routes to a Greek passport are covered on the pages on citizenship by repatriation and Greek citizenship by birth.

Paperwork discipline is a must. The mandatory 30% card spending, deemed income and strict deadlines make Greece a country where mistakes cost money.

Related pages: all Greece programmes and taxes by country.

FAQ