Greece is preparing to tax cryptocurrency gains for the first time, with a draft bill that would impose a 10% capital gains tax on individual crypto profits. The Ministry of National Economy and Finance published the proposal for public consultation this week, and it is expected to reach parliament in November, according to CoinDesk’s report on the draft bill. Annual gains of up to 500 euros (about $560) would be exempt, giving Greece one of the lower crypto tax rates in the European Union.
The measure would close a gap that has left Greece without a comprehensive framework for taxing crypto, even as local interest in digital assets has grown and other EU members have moved to formalize their own rules.
What the Draft Bill Proposes
The central provision is a flat 10% levy on capital gains realized from selling cryptocurrency. The first 500 euros of gains each year would be excluded, which shields small and occasional traders from the charge while still capturing larger realized profits. The draft is now open for public consultation and will be submitted to parliament in November, where its final terms could still change before any vote.
Greek officials have not published a revenue estimate for the tax. The report notes that the size of Greece’s crypto market is difficult to measure because most local investors trade through platforms based outside the country, a gap that also complicates enforcement of any new levy.
A Lower Rate Than Most EU Peers
The 10% rate is deliberately positioned below several of Greece’s European neighbors. Germany, France, and Italy have set or are planning capital gains rates above 25% on crypto, according to the report. By pricing the levy lower, Greece appears to be balancing the goal of raising revenue against the risk of pushing already-offshore trading further away from domestic oversight.
That tension is visible in the government’s own uncertainty about the market’s size. The bill’s eventual fiscal impact depends on how much trading activity is actually brought onshore, something officials have yet to quantify.
What It Means for Investors
For most retail holders, the 500-euro exemption means only larger realized gains would fall into scope. Because the threshold is a flat euro amount rather than a share of holdings, occasional small traders are the clearest beneficiaries, while anyone realizing more than 500 euros of gains in a year would be exposed to the full levy. The November submission gives investors a window to weigh in during consultation and to plan around the likely effective date.
The bill lands amid a broader push to formalize crypto taxation on both sides of the Atlantic, from a US House crypto tax bill moving through committee to the EU’s evolving treatment of digital assets under frameworks such as MiCA’s stablecoin rules.
The final rate, exemptions, and effective date all remain subject to the consultation and the parliamentary vote, so the version that takes effect may differ from the draft published this week.
