Greece approves 10% tax on crypto gains, with €500 annual exemption
Greece sets a 10% rate for crypto gains
Greece's parliament approved a 10% capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies on Thursday. It is the country's first dedicated framework for taxing crypto assets.
Annual gains of up to €500 are exempt. An earlier draft in October proposed 15%, so the final rate is lower.
Key dates and limits
- The tax is set to apply from Jan. 1, 2027.
- Net annual gains at or below €500 are exempt.
- Losses above €500 in a tax year may be carried forward for up to five years.
- Those losses can offset only future crypto capital gains.
How gains are calculated
The tax is based on net gain. That is the difference between the acquisition price and the transfer price, not the full sale proceeds. Trading fees and other costs tied to the deal can factor into the calculation.
Simply holding bitcoin while its euro value rises does not by itself create a tax bill. Using cryptocurrency to buy goods or services, or contributing it to cover or increase company capital, can count as a taxable transfer.
Crypto-to-crypto swaps, such as bitcoin for another token, are treated as non-taxable events in the explanatory material that accompanied the bill. Once net gains clear €500, Greek analyses of the text say the 10% rate applies to the full net gain for the year, not only the amount above €500.
Purchases of crypto assets are also being pulled into Greece's existing source of funds checks from 2027. Buyers may need to show that the euros used to acquire bitcoin or other tokens came from declared income or other lawful capital. The rule does not add a separate purchase tax.
How Greece compares in the EU
European Union countries do not share a unified tax system for crypto. Rates on cryptocurrency gains typically run from about 8% to 30% across member states, a senior finance ministry official told Reuters.
Greece's 10% is below France's often-cited 30% treatment and above Cyprus's 8%. The Netherlands has moved toward a realized capital gains tax from 2028, while Germany and Portugal still exempt crypto held longer than a year.
Since January, the EU's DAC8 reporting rules have required crypto platforms to send user and transaction data to national tax authorities. Greece has already written that approach into domestic law.
Directives still to come
Further implementation directives will be published in the coming weeks. They will also define transparency and audit rules, the senior finance ministry official told Reuters.
State revenue from the new levy could not be projected, the official said. The vast majority of investors use platforms abroad, leaving the size of Greece's cryptocurrency market hard to measure. A crypto exchange is a platform where people buy and sell crypto.
Where this report comes from
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.