Taxes in Greece: A 2026 Guide for Foreigners

Taxes in Greece depend on your tax residency. The country uses a progressive tax system, where tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, and non-tax residents only pay tax on income that is generated in Greece. 

In 2026, the personal income tax in Greece starts at 9% and can go up to 44%. The VAT rate is 24%, and the corporate tax rate is 22%, applied to most businesses. The country also has specialized tax incentive regimes for qualifying foreign nationals who transfer their tax residency to Greece. These tax benefits come with legal conditions that must be met. 

Taxes are one of the most complicated steps in planning a cross-country relocation, but they can also be a strategic tax optimization tool. At Global Citizen Solutions, we understand the value of tax incentives in investment migration. However, we also highly advise prospective clients to speak to a tax advisor before making any decision. 

This article explains everything you need to know about taxes in Greece, including who is considered a tax resident, what taxes apply to individuals and businesses, available incentives for foreigners, and how and when to file your Greek tax returns.

Greek Taxes: Key Takeaways

Taxes in Greece depend on your tax residence. You can be considered a tax resident if you spend more than 183 days in Greece in any 12-month period, or if you have a main home in Greece.

Tax residences are taxes on income from that is generated in If you are a tax resident, you pay tax on income from both Greece and other countries. If you are not a resident, you only pay tax on income earned in Greece.

In 2026, personal income tax rates start at 9% and go up to 44%. Rental income is taxed at rates between 15% and 45%.

Dividends are taxed at 5% and interest at 15%, though there are some exceptions. Companies pay a 22% corporate tax on their profits.

The normal VAT rate is 24%, the reduced rates are 13% and 6%, and a special 4% rate applies to specific supplies.

The property transfer tax is 3% of the taxable value. Tax on profits from selling property is suspended for individuals until 31 December 2026.

In Greece you are obligated to pay taxes if you are tax resident. In this case, you will pay tax on your income regardless of where it comes from. 

According to the Hellenic Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), you are considered a tax resident if one of the following is true: 

• You spend over 183 days in Greece during any 12 months.
• Greece is your main home or where your most important ties are, such as your family, main house, or work, even if you spend less time there.

However, even if you are not a tax resident, you will still have tax obligations. If you are not a resident, you will only pay Greek tax on income that comes from Greece, like rent from property there or work you do in Greece.

According to AADE, these are the taxes that apply to everyone, no matter where you live. 

• If you work in Greece, whether as an employee or self-employed, you need to pay social security contributions.
• Anyone who owns property in Greece has to pay property tax (ENFIA).
• Everyone pays VAT on most purchases.

These are the 2026 personal income tax rate for individuals according to the  Hellenic Independent Authority for Public Revenue  and the Law 5246/2025.

Tax incentives and deductions

• Dividends are taxed at a flat 5%.
• Tax credit: A tax credit of about €777 applies to lower incomes and it is phased out as income gets higher, particularly for taxpayers with dependents.

Special incentives for young taxpayers:

• Under 25: Income up to €20,000 is taxed at 0%. 
• Aged 26-30: The €10,000-€20,000 bracket is taxed at 9% instead of 20%. The first €10,000 is already taxed at 9%, so this means 9% on income up to €20,000.

Whether you are a resident or a foreign owner, your rental income is taxed in the same way. First, 5% of your total rental income is deducted to cover expenses, if the rent is received through a bank account registered with the tax authority, AADE.

• Standard rate: Greece taxes companies at a standard corporate income tax rate of 22% on their profits.
• Banks and certain financial institutions: If they are part of the deferred tax asset (DTA) regime, they pay a higher rate of 29%.
• New small businesses:  New small businesses have the advantage of paying only 50% of the previous year’s tax instead to the 80% that is normally required from businesses.
• Dividend withholding tax: When a company pays profits to its shareholders, such as dividends, they pay a 5% flat tax.

Tax incentives for Greek companies

Greece also has tax benefits to attract tech companies and businesses focused on research and innovation:

• R&D super-deduction: Under the Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013), Article 22A, R&D expenses are fully deductible plus an additional uplift. Collaboration with universities, research centers, or registered startups raises the total deduction to about 250%, and combined incentives can reach roughly 300%-315%.
• Patent incentive: Profits from a self-developed, internationally recognised patent are exempt from corporate tax for up to three years, followed by seven years of partial exemption under the Law 5162/2024.

Social security contributions in Greece (EFKA) are shared between employers and employees. Together, they add up to about 35.16% of salary for most private-sector jobs.

• Employees pay 13.37%
• Employers pay 21.79%

The maximum monthly salary is €7,761.94 from 1 January 2026. Regardless of how much some one earns, the contribution will be calculated only up to that amount.

• Individuals: If you sell a property as a private person in 2026, you do have to pay any capital gains tax on your profit. The normal 15% capital gains tax has been stopped until 31 December 2026. It does not matter how much the property value increases.
• Companies: When a company sells property, the profit is treated as business income. So, it is taxed at the standard 22% corporate tax rate.
• Shares, bonds, and derivatives: If you make a profit from selling shares or bonds, you will have to pay a flat 15% tax.
• Listed shares: If you own less than 0.5% of a company, you do not have to pay tax on your profit. If you own at least 0.5% of a company, then you will have to pay the regular 15% tax rate.
• Mutual Funds (UCITS): If you sell mutual funds based in Greece or the EU, you do not have to pay capital gains tax.

Property taxes in Greece are divided into three stages: buying property in Greece, owning, and renting. The Greek Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) states that ENFIA is calculated each year based on the real estate statements (E9) that property owners submit for properties located in Greece as of January 1.

According to the AADE and the Ministry of Finance this is how inheritance and gift tax works in Greece.

Exemptions

• Spouse and minor children: The spouse (or civil partner) and minor children get a tax-free limit of €400,000 per beneficiary instead of €150,000.
• Joint bank accounts: Joint accounts pass tax-free to the surviving holders regardless of where the holders live, except in non-cooperative tax jurisdictions.
• Non-residents: Greek inheritance tax applies to assets located in Greece, whether the owner is a resident or not. Assets outside Greece are generally not taxed when the deceased was a non-resident.

Greece abolished stamp duty on more than 600 transactions and replaced it with the Digital Transaction Duty (DTD) from 1 December 2024. The duty is imposed only on specifically listed transactions.

Property sales and leases

• Property purchases: If you buy a property, you only pay the property transfer tax.
• Residential leases: Leases for residential purposes are not subject to stamp duty taxes.
• Commercial leases: If the lease is for commercial reasons, then a 3.6% duty applies to the rent amount, unless the lease is subject to VAT.

Digital Duty on Transactions (DDoT)

Therefore, based on Law 5135/2024 and PwC, this is how stamp duty and digital transactions duty work in Greece. 

According to the AADE Circular E.2113/2025 (31 December 2025) and Article 26 of the VAT Code govern the island reduction, these are the laws regarding VAT in Greece. 

• Standard rate is 24%: This applies to most goods and services, such as cars, electronics, alcohol and professional services.
• Reduced rate of 13%: Fresh and ready to eat food, and non-alcoholic drinks, are among some of the items with a reduced VAT rate.
• Super-reduced rate of 6%: Greece has a super reduced rate for medicines, vaccines, books, newspapers, and theatre.
• Island reduction: Starting 1 January 2026, VAT will be reduced by 30% on around 24 small islands with up to 20,000 residents in the North Aegean, Samothraki, the Dodecanese, as well as on Lesvos, Kos, Samos, and Chios.

Greece has a Greek flat tax regime that is designed to attract investors to the country. There are options for high-net-worth individuals and for foreign retirees.

• High-net-worth individuals (Article 5A): Qualifying applicants pay a flat €100,000 a year on all foreign-source income, regardless of the amount earned. If they add a family member its €20,000 per family member. The regime lasts up to 15 years. You are required to not have been Greek tax residents for seven of the previous eight years and need to invest at least €500,000 in Greece within three years, or hold a Greece Golden Visa.
• Foreign retirees (Article 5B): People who receive foreign pension pay a flat 7% on foreign-source income for up to 15 years. Applicants are required again not have been Greek tax residents for five of the last six years and need to move their tax residence to Greece.
• New employees and self-employed (Article 5C): Under this tax incentive, 50% of Greek employment or business income is exempt from income tax for seven years. The same requirement applies, you must not have been Greek tax residents for five of the last six years and need to take up work or a business in Greece.

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• Access: You need a Greek tax number (AFM) and Taxisnet credentials to log in to the myAADE portal.
• Forms: Most people use Form E1 for general income. Form E2 covers rental income and Form E3 covers business or freelance income.
• Pre-filled returns: E1 and E2 returns are pre-filled with information provided by employers, banks and other sources. If the data is correct, you can submit as it is, or AADE submits it automatically on a set date (16 April in 2026).

Important tax filing dates