The Greek Ministry of Finance is drafting a new bill to impose a 15% capital gains tax on cryptocurrency profits, marking the first time digital assets will be integrated into the nation’s formal tax code.
According to government officials who spoke to Reuters on June 5, 2026, the legislation is expected to reach parliament in the coming months. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis signaled his intention to regulate the “dubious” market as early as January 2025, telling cabinet members he aimed to bring order to an “ambiguous and unregulated domain.”
The proposed regime features a flat 15% rate on net crypto profits, balanced by a €500 ($580) annual tax-free threshold to protect small-scale retail investors. While individual cryptocurrency miners would be exempt from the new levy, this carve-out does not extend to corporations engaged in mining. This regulatory push comes as Bitcoin supply on exchanges remains a key metric for global traders monitoring liquidity shifts.
Greek crypto tax implementation and filing deadlines
The new dedicated crypto-tax framework is expected to begin with the 2025 tax year. Since the Greek fiscal year ends on December 31, taxpayers must file their income tax returns (Form E1) and make payments by June 30 of the following year.
Consequently, the first filings under this 15% regime will be due by June 30, 2026. Investors holding more than €50,000 in foreign wallets must also submit a separate statement of foreign assets by the same date.
Under the drafting bill, capital gains are triggered by selling or swapping crypto for fiat currency, using crypto for purchases, or performing crypto-to-crypto exchanges. However, holding assets without selling remains a non-taxable event. Taxpayers can carry forward capital losses for five years to offset future gains. This is particularly relevant as com/bitcoin-signals-market-structure-analysis-2026/”>Bitcoin signals market structure changes that could lead to volatility in the latter half of 2026.
Treatment of passive income and corporate mining
The government intends to treat passive income differently than flat capital gains. Earnings from staking, airdrops, and DeFi activities like lending or liquidity provisioning will fall under Greece’s progressive income tax scale. This scale ranges from 9% on the first €10,000 of income to 44% for amounts exceeding €40,000.
These assets are taxed as ordinary income based on their fair market value in euros at the time of receipt.
Corporate entities face higher obligations than individual traders. Greek companies currently pay a 22% corporate income tax on profits derived from crypto trading and mining. The 15% flat rate specifically targets individual gains, ensuring a clear distinction between personal investment and commercial enterprise within the new legal framework. Small crypto gifts under €800 per year remain non-taxable under current provisions.
Regulatory alignment with EU standards
Athens is working to align its internal policies with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation ahead of a July 2026 deadline. Last August, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) overhauled its licensing regime for exchanges and wallet providers to meet these standards.
Under these rules, platforms must clear a formal licensing process that can take up to 40 working days, with unlicensed providers barred from the market.
This regulatory clarity was a factor in Binance, the world’s largest exchange, choosing Greece as its EU base earlier this year. Co-CEO Richard Teng cited the country’s security environment and talent pool at a Tokyo forum. As U.S. officials express skepticism toward certain digital asset structures, Greece is moving toward a formalized environment that combines oversight with an attempt to attract legitimate crypto business.
A primary challenge for Greek authorities remains the visibility of offshore trading. Officials admitted that estimating the size of the local market is difficult because many Greek investors utilize platforms based outside the country. The success of the 15% tax regime will likely depend on enforcement capabilities regarding these offshore accounts and the final language of the bill before it passes through parliament.