Annual taxes on owning real estate in Greece: ENFIA, municipal charges and the E9 declaration

Annual taxes on owning real estate in Greece: ENFIA, municipal charges and the E9 declaration

Quick answer

Every owner of Greek real estate on 1 January pays ENFIA, the Unified Real Estate Ownership Tax, regardless of residence or nationality. The main tax is calculated per property from its surface area, zone value, age, floor and use. Individuals with a portfolio worth over €500,000 pay a 5%–20% surcharge on the main tax. Legal entities instead pay a supplementary tax of 5.5‰ on the total value of their property rights, reduced to 1‰ for owner-occupied business premises. Owners must also file a one-off E9 property declaration and pay municipal charges collected through electricity bills.

Who pays ENFIA

ENFIA is imposed on the holder, as at 1 January of each year, of a right of full ownership, bare ownership, usufruct, habitation or surface over property in Greece, as well as on rights of exclusive use of parking spaces, auxiliary rooms and swimming pools in jointly owned buildings. Foreign individuals and foreign companies are taxed in exactly the same way as Greek residents.

How the main tax is calculated

The main tax is computed separately for each property.

• Buildings: surface area in square metres multiplied by a basic rate ranging from €2 to €16.20 per square metre, adjusted by coefficients for zone value, use (main or auxiliary), age, floor level, number of facades and similar factors.
• Land: surface area multiplied by a basic rate ranging from €0.0037 to €9.25 per square metre, again adjusted for location and use.

Individuals versus legal entities

	Individuals	Legal entities
Main tax on each property	Yes	Yes
Surcharge on main tax	5%–20% where total property value exceeds €500,000	None
Supplementary tax on total value	None	5.5‰ of total value of property rights
Reduced supplementary rate	Not applicable	1‰ for owner-occupied property used for the entity’s own business

For a high-value villa, the overall ENFIA burden is broadly comparable under either ownership form. Corporate ownership adds the 5.5‰ supplementary tax, which should be modelled against the corporate income tax, VAT and exit advantages discussed elsewhere in this series.

Municipal taxes and charges

Municipalities levy their own charges on property, which apply equally to individuals and companies. These include the local real estate duty (TAP), a tax on electrified spaces and refuse collection fees. Most are collected by the electricity supplier together with the electricity bill, so owners of unoccupied or seasonally occupied properties should keep the electricity connection active and the bills paid to avoid arrears.

The E9 property declaration

Any individual or legal entity holding a real right over Greek property on 1 January must file a property declaration (Form E9). The declaration is filed once, in the year the obligation first arises, and updated only when the property position changes. The property is described according to its final cadastral registration or, if none exists, according to the acquisition title.

When a deed transferring or creating rights over property is executed, the notary must file a property data declaration within 30 days reflecting the contracting parties, unless the parties state that they will file their own E9 declaration. In practice, the E9 drives the annual ENFIA assessment, so errors in the declaration translate directly into errors in the tax.

Frequently asked questions

Do non-residents pay ENFIA? Yes. ENFIA applies to every owner of Greek property on 1 January, irrespective of tax residence or nationality.

Is ENFIA higher for a company than for an individual? A company pays the main tax plus a 5.5‰ supplementary tax on total property value. An individual pays the main tax plus a 5%–20% surcharge only if their total Greek property exceeds €500,000. For a single high-value property the two outcomes are often similar.

When is the E9 filed? Once, in the year the right is acquired, and again whenever the holding changes. The notary may file the initial data on the parties’ behalf.

Are there other annual property taxes in Greece? Municipal charges (TAP, electrified-space tax, refuse fees) apply to all owners. Legal entities may additionally face the 15% Special Real Estate Tax unless they qualify for an exemption, covered in a separate article.

 

* The information is accurate to the best of our knowledge as at the time of writing. We have no obligation to update it. We accept no responsibility against any third party who is not a client of the firm and has not signed the terms of our engagement.