Greece approves a 10% capital gains tax on crypto

What happened. On November 5 Greece's parliament approved a bill that imposes a 10% capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies. Reuters says it is the first comprehensive legal framework for taxing crypto assets in Greece. Crypto gains up to 500 euros a year are exempt.

What comes next. A senior finance ministry official told Reuters that implementation directives will be published in the coming weeks and will also set transparency and audit rules. The ministry cannot project the revenue, because most investors use platforms abroad, which makes the size of Greece's crypto market hard to measure.

How the draft described it. On October 30 the Greek outlet pelop.gr walked through the draft bill. By that account, the tax applies to individuals when they transfer crypto, gains are the difference between the buy and sell price, and repeat buys of one coin use the average cost. The 500 euro limit is for the whole year: if net gains go above it, the tax applies to the full amount. Swapping one coin for another does not by itself create a taxable gain, per the ministry's presentation, while income from staking and crypto lending is treated as interest and taxed at 15%. This is the draft, and the final text may differ.

Context. The EU has no unified crypto tax system. Reuters says rates across European countries range from 8% to 30% and usually apply to capital gains.

Confirmed facts

• On November 5, 2026, Greece's parliament approved a bill that imposes a 10% capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies.^[1][2]
• Reuters says it is the first comprehensive legal framework for taxing crypto assets in Greece.^[1]
• Crypto capital gains up to 500 euros a year are exempt from the new tax.^[1][2]
• A finance ministry official told Reuters that implementation directives, including transparency and audit rules, will come in the coming weeks.^[1]
• The ministry cannot project the revenue because most investors use platforms abroad.^[1]
• Crypto tax rates in European countries range from 8% to 30%, and the EU has no unified system.^[1]
• According to the draft bill, the 500 euro limit is annual, and staking and crypto lending income is taxed at 15%.^[3]

Implications

• ConfirmedPeople in Greece who sell crypto with more than 500 euros of gains a year will pay 10%.
• Our readingThe exact reporting steps will only be clear after the ministry's directives. This is our reading of the ministry's comments.

Still unknown

• From what date the law applies
• How trades on foreign exchanges will be checked
• Whether the draft details changed before the vote

Who it affects

Europe. Crypto investors who live or pay tax in Greece

Sources

1. Reuters: Greek parliament approves 10% tax on cryptocurrency gains November 5, 2026 · media
2. Investing.com: Greece approves 10% capital gains tax on cryptocurrencies November 5, 2026 · media
3. pelop.gr: Bitcoin και κρυπτονομίσματα: Οι αλλαγές που φέρνει το νέο νομοσχέδιο October 30, 2026 · media