Tax Law

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Greek tax treatment of interest payments made by a Greek company to a foreign lender company

According to the Greek tax legislation, any interest amount paid by a Greek company to an entity established abroad is subject to a withholding tax at a rate of 15%. The paid withholding tax exhausts the Greek tax liability in the event that the recipient of the above payment, which is subject to withholding tax, is a legal entity that does not have its tax residence and does not maintain a permanent establishment in Greece (par. 4 of article 37 and par. 3 of article 64 of Law 4172/2013, Circular POL.1042/2015). The above applies based on the domestic legislation and is...

03 Jul 2023

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Brief overview of the Greek VAT regime

Main types of supplies subject to VAT in Greece The main types of supplies subject to VAT in Greece are, among others: a) the supply of goods and services carried out within Greece for consideration by a taxable person acting as such in the course of his business; b) the intra-Community acquisitions of goods in Greece for consideration by a taxable person acting in his capacity as such (or by a non-taxable legal entity on the condition that the supplier is subject to VAT in another EU Member State and the non-taxable acquirer has exceeded the IC threshold of Euro 10,000 annually). Especially,...

03 Jul 2023

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Requirements and procedure for the establishment of an office/branch in Greece under article 25 of Law 27/1975

Foreign shipping companies interested in establishing an office or branch in Greece under the provisions of Article 25 of Law 27/1975, are required to submit the following documentation to the Directorate of Maritime Policy and Development of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs: a. An application including the name, type, registered office and nationality of the foreign management company as well as its activity and the specific activities of its office in Greece as well as its representative. The above application will also state that: The company undertakes the obligation to import into Greece an annual foreign exchange, not compulsorily assignable, or...

03 Jul 2023

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Overview of the shipping tax regime in Greece

Tonnage Tax Regime The Greek tonnage tax regime has been established as a favorable system of taxation of shipping activities. This tax system enables ship owners to plan their business activity in the long term without increased tax burdens, while it also contributes to keeping the cost of operating ships at a competitive level. In general terms, according to the tax provisions of Law 27/1975, the tonnage tax is payable by shipowners or ship-owning companies of ships under Greek flag and exhausts the tax liability of the shipowner, as well as their ultimate shareholders, up to the level of the private...

19 May 2023

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Working remotely from Greece – Risk of a permanent establishment for the foreign employer

In the post-COVID 19 era, where the global mobility of employees and the cross-border remote working have increased dramatically, there are a number of tax issues that arise for both the foreign employer and the remote worker. One of the associated tax issues relates to the risk of a permanent establishment for income tax purposes being created for the foreign employer in the country from where the employee is working remotely from a home office. Α.Legislative Framework The assessment of whether a PE of a foreign employer company may be created in Greece is made on the basis of the applicable provisions...

15 May 2023

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Charter of vessels and VAT implications

VAT on Bareboat Charter Based on the Greek VAT legislation, the bareboat charter of a vessel, where the owner is alienated from the vessel, is a service that qualifies as a “lease of means of transport”, whereas the crewed, time charter of a vessel is a service that qualifies as a “transportation service” of either goods or persons depending on the case. Based on article 14 of the Greek VAT Code: - The place of supply of the short-term lease of a means of transport (i.e. less than 90 days for vessels) is Greece, if the vessel is put at the...

27 Apr 2023

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Greek income tax implications of a sale of a commercial pleasure yacht owned by a Greek NEPA

The legislative framework for NEPAs was up to recently regulated by L. 3182/2003, which was replaced by new Law 4926/2022, effective as of 20.4.2022. In specific, Part A of the new Law replaces the previously applicable regulatory framework on pleasure boats which was regulated by L. 4256/2014, while Part B includes, among others, the legislative framework for NEPAs. Law 4926/2022 According to article 65 par. 1 of L. 4926/2022, it is explicitly provided that articles 1 and 2 of Law 27/1975 also apply to a NEPA, provided it is a shipowner, as well as to its shareholders. Effectively, this provision extends...

27 Apr 2023

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VAT treatment of commercial pleasure vessels that cease their activity and are intra-community supplied or exported

According to article 24 of the Greek VAT Code, the supply (sale) of goods that are exported outside of the Community (export) by the seller or a person acting on behalf of the seller, is exempt from VAT. Similarly, according to article 28 of the Greek VAT Code, the intra-community supply (sale) of goods that are dispatched or transported to another EU Member State by the seller or the acquirer or a person acting on their behalf, to another taxable (i.e. subject to VAT) person or to a non-taxable legal person acting in that capacity is exempt from VAT. Therefore, in case...

27 Apr 2023

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VAT exemption of a sale of a commercial pleasure yacht – Conditions and applicable procedure