Greece Sets a 10% Tax on Crypto Gains From January 2027

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Greece will start taxing profits from crypto from January 1, 2027. Parliament approved a 10% tax on crypto gains on November 5, 2026, the country’s first full set of tax rules written just for crypto. The first 500 euros of net gains each year are tax free, and income from staking, lending and DeFi will be taxed at 15%.

What happened

Greece’s parliament approved the bill on November 5, 2026, according to Reuters. It is the country’s first comprehensive legal framework for taxing crypto assets, and it ends years of uncertainty about how crypto profits are taxed in Greece.

The headline rule is simple. From January 1, 2027, individuals pay a 10% tax on their net gains from selling or transferring crypto. Net gains means profit after losses are counted. The first 500 euros of net gains in a year, about 563 dollars, are exempt, so small gains are not taxed at all.

Income earned in other ways is taxed separately. Returns from staking, crypto lending and DeFi, where you earn rewards for locking up or lending your crypto, will be treated as interest income and taxed at 15%.

The new rules also deal with losses and past gains. Losses above 500 euros can be carried forward for up to five years to offset future gains. Investors get a 12 month window to voluntarily declare crypto gains they never reported, with no late filing penalties and no interest, as long as the tax is paid within 60 days of the declaration.

The final 10% rate is lower than the government’s first idea. An earlier draft floated a 15% rate, and the rate dropped to 10% after a public consultation held between October 7 and October 22, 2026.

Some details are still open. The finance ministry still has to publish implementation directives in the coming weeks, setting out transparency and audit rules, and one open question is how swapping one crypto for another is treated.

Why it matters for beginners

Tax is part of investing, and this is a clear example of why. A profit on paper is not the same as the money you keep, because a share of it can go to tax. If you hold crypto and you live in Greece, or you are thinking about how different countries treat crypto, this law changes the maths from 2027.

The 500 euro exemption is the most useful part for small holders. It means occasional small gains stay tax free, and the tax only starts once yearly net gains pass that line. Losses matter too. Because losses can be carried forward for five years, keeping a simple record of what you bought, what you sold and what you lost can lower the tax you owe later.

It is also a sign of a wider trend. Greece is writing crypto into its tax code just as the European Union’s DAC8 reporting rules have started to apply, so crypto activity is becoming more visible to tax authorities across Europe. If the term capital gains tax is new to you, our guide explains how capital gains tax brackets work in simple terms.

What to watch next

• The finance ministry’s implementation directives in the coming weeks, which will set out transparency and audit rules and explain how gains are declared and checked.
• Whether swapping one crypto for another counts as a taxable sale, a point the finance ministry and parliament’s advisers have read differently.
• How Greece’s 10% rate compares with other European countries, where Reuters reports crypto tax rates run from about 8% to 30%.

FAQ

What is a capital gains tax?

It is a tax on the profit you make when you sell or transfer an asset for more than you paid for it. In Greece, crypto gains from January 1, 2027 will be taxed at 10%, after the first 500 euros of net annual gains.

Do I pay tax if my crypto gains are under 500 euros a year?

No. The first 500 euros of net annual gains are exempt. The tax applies once your net gains for the year pass that amount.

Does the tax apply to gains I made before 2027?

No. The tax applies to gains on transfers made on or after January 1, 2027. Gains made before that date can be declared voluntarily inside a 12 month window, with no late filing penalties and no interest if the tax is paid within 60 days of the declaration.

What is staking, lending and DeFi income?

It is income you earn from your crypto rather than from selling it, such as rewards for validating transactions, interest from lending your crypto, or returns from providing liquidity. Greece will tax this income at 15% as interest income.

What if I lost money on crypto?

Losses above 500 euros can be carried forward for up to five years to offset future gains. That is why keeping records of your buys, sells and losses matters.

Sources

Reuters, “Greece parliament approves 10% tax on cryptocurrency gains,” November 5, 2026, as reported by Bitcoin Magazine. https://bitcoinmagazine.com/news/greece-approves-10-crypto-gains-tax

Bitcoin.com News, “Greece Approves 10% Crypto Gains Tax, 15% Levy on Staking and DeFi Income,” November 6, 2026. https://news.bitcoin.com/regulation-and-legal/greece-approves-crypto-gains-tax-levy-staking-defi-income/

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.