Greece Approves 10% Crypto Gains Tax, Exempting Up to €500 a Year

Greece's parliament approved legislation on 5 November 2026 establishing a 10% capital-gains tax on cryptocurrency disposals, with annual net gains of up to €500 exempt. The vote moves Greece from a period of uncertain tax treatment toward a specific statutory framework for crypto-assets, although implementing guidance on transparency and audits has yet to be issued.

Reuters reported the parliamentary approval on Thursday, citing the bill's 10% rate and €500 annual exemption. A senior finance ministry official told the news agency that additional directives would follow in the coming weeks, including rules on disclosure and tax audits. The ministry has not yet produced a credible revenue forecast for the measure because many Greek crypto investors use platforms based outside the country and the domestic market is difficult to size.

The vote follows a consultation draft published in October and a bill submitted to parliament on 26 October. Greek tax adviser Giorgos Dalianis explained the proposed provisions in an analysis published by Euro2day on 2 November. That earlier analysis described the draft rather than the final promulgated law; provisions beyond the headline rate and exemption should be checked against the enacted text and official gazette before they are treated as operative requirements.

The draft addressed questions such as calculating acquisition costs, offsetting eligible losses, using digital assets to pay for goods and handling rewards from staking or lending. Euro2day's analysis said the main income-tax changes were intended to apply from tax year 2027. Those details are useful context, but the final adopted text and commencement notice still need to be reconciled before publication of definitive tax-filing instructions.

The €500 exemption is particularly important for interpreting the headline. It is an annual threshold for net gains under the reported bill, not an exemption for the first €500 of every transaction, and it does not mean that purchases or holdings are automatically taxed. The parliamentary draft addressed gains arising from transfer of assets, including sale and certain uses as payment. The practical treatment of different transaction types and documentation requirements will depend on the final rules and guidance.

The legislation also has an oversight dimension. Greece will need to decide how taxpayers document acquisition cost and how the tax administration can check transactions involving offshore exchanges. The official cited by Reuters said transparency and audit rules would be published later. Neither the approval nor that announcement establishes that any particular platform or investor has evaded taxes.

Across the European Union, crypto capital-gains tax rates are not harmonized. Reuters reported a range of national approaches and said Greek authorities cannot yet estimate expected revenue. This uncertainty makes the forthcoming official guidance, the law's gazette publication and the first annual filing cycle important checkpoints for measuring whether the new regime is enforceable.

The confirmed development is the parliamentary vote for a 10% crypto capital-gains tax and an annual €500 exemption. The remaining questions are the precise final wording, the effective date for each provision, the rules for losses and non-sale transfers, and the transparency measures promised by the finance ministry.