Greece Approves 10% Tax on Cryptocurrency Gains
Greece now has a clear rulebook for taxing cryptocurrency. On Thursday, November 5, 2026, Parliament approved a bill that puts a 10% capital gains tax on crypto for individuals, the first comprehensive framework of its kind in the country, according to coverage of the vote.
Annual net gains of up to €500 are exempt. That figure works as a threshold, not a deduction: if your net gain for the year is €500 or less, you owe nothing. If it is above €500, the whole gain is taxed at 10%.
The crypto rules sit inside a larger finance ministry bill that also covers loan servicers and debtor protection. The plenary approved the package by majority on Thursday.
How the 10% gains tax works
The 10% rate applies to the difference between what you paid for a crypto asset and what you received when you transferred it. Selling for euros counts. So does spending crypto on goods or services. Crypto-for-crypto swaps are generally not a taxable event at the time of the swap.
Where you bought the same asset in stages, an average acquisition price is used. If you cannot document what you paid, the acquisition price is treated as zero. Losses above €500 in a year can be carried forward for five years, but only against future crypto capital gains.
A Reuters report on the vote noted that EU countries still lack a single crypto tax system, with capital gains rates elsewhere typically ranging from about 8% to 30%.
Staking, lending and liquidity yields
Income from staking, lending and providing liquidity is treated separately. Those yields are taxed as interest at 15%, valued when received. The €500 gains threshold does not cover this income.
Buying crypto also counts toward presumed-income checks on asset acquisition, the same family of rules used elsewhere in Greek tax law when the authorities compare spending with declared income.
Voluntary declaration for past gains
People who transferred crypto before the new rules take effect get a voluntary declaration window. From publication of the law in the Government Gazette, they have 12 months to file. Tax is due within 60 days of filing, at 10% on gains and 15% on yields, with no fines or interest if paid on time.
The Independent Authority for Public Revenue will set the form and filing process. Further implementation directives on transparency and audit rules are expected in the coming weeks, a senior finance ministry official said after the vote.
When the rules start
Most of the crypto income-tax rules apply from tax year 2027, after the law is published in the Gazette. Details for trades between publication and January 1, 2027 may still need clarifying in the implementing guidance.
Revenue from the tax could not be projected, the ministry official said, because most Greek investors use platforms based abroad, which makes the size of the domestic market hard to measure.
Need help handling your capital gains in Greece or filing taxes in general? Check out our Greek tax representation service if you need help keeping Greek filings current from abroad.
Photo: Pixabay / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
