Special topics

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Alternative taxation of income of natural persons who are beneficiaries of pension income from abroad

Alternative taxation of income of individuals who are beneficiaries of pension income from abroad and who transfer their tax residence to Greece - Procedure and conditions for inclusion [Article 5B of Law 4172/2013]. An individual recipient of pension income who transfers his or her tax residence to Greece can be taxed in an alternative manner for income that is generated abroad. Under the alternative method of taxation, each tax year the individual pays a tax at a rate of 7% for all income acquired abroad, unless that income is exempt from tax in the country of residence under the provisions of...

26 Oct 2020

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Compensation for off site Work

in Labor & Employment, Special topics

Τhe compensation of employees for off-site work is regulated by the Joint Ministerial Decision of the Ministers of Finance and Labor no. 21091/1946 (Government Gazette / Β’/ 142/1946) as in force. According to this JMD), employee is entitled to the following: a) His/her earnings in full as if he/she was normally employed at the headquarters of the company. b) Daily allowance/compensation for off-site work, which is independent of the employee’s working hours and is related only to the number of the overnight stays, equal to 1/25 of the legal salary. When employees working off-site are provided with food and housing by the employer at...

28 Jul 2020

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Law 27/1975 offices of ship management companies – dividend distribution

(Memo on the tax obligations of a foreign shipowner company in Greece related to distribution of dividends to individuals-Greek tax residents through their foreign ship management Company which established an office under law 27/1975”) tax obligations 1.a. As regards companies established an office in Greece under law 27/1975 and engaged in ship management, the following applies: If that companies have not signed the New Memorandum on Voluntary Grant between the Greek State and the Shipping Community ratified by Law 4607/2019, the tonnage tax on vessels flying foreign flag, which are managed by foreign companies established in Greece pursuant to Article 25 of...

07 Jul 2020

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Tax treatment of foreign trust and foreign foundation under Greek law (Circular 1114/2017 of the Ministry of Finance)

GENERAL According to Greek law, the Anglo-Saxon trust, which is an institution with origins in the common law, is a sui generis property management and liquidation regime, which has no legal personality and which is created either by a declaration of the owner of the property or by transferring such property, whether inter vivos or by means of a will. The settlor or trustor of the trust enters into a deed of settlement with the trustee and transfers to him assets, which he manages for the benefit of other persons, trustees or beneficiaries or to his own benefit (the trustee)...

15 Jun 2020

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Establishment of a foreign shipping company’s office in Greece (L. 27/1975)

in Company Law, Special topics

According to Article 25 of Law 27/1975, “By decision of the Ministers of Finance, Development, Competitiveness, Infrastructure, Transport and Networks and Shipping and the Aegean, specific issues are regulated, related to the required supporting documents and the procedure for the establishment of offices in Greece or branches of foreign shipping companies, as well as any other necessary details”. According to no. 3122.18/03/13 – Government Gazette B 3263 / 20.12.2013 – Regulation of details concerning the required supporting documents and the procedure for the establishment in Greece of offices or branches of foreign shipping companies and subordination of domestic shipping companies to...

01 Jun 2020

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Documentation requirements for taxpayers under Greek law – rights of access of the tax administration

Article 13 of Law 4174/2013 (Hellenic Tax Procedures Code) states that all persons with income from business activities are obliged to keep a reliable accounting system and suitable accounting records in accordance with the accounting standards specified in Greek law in order to prepare financial statements and other information in accordance with the tax laws. The accounting system and accounting records are examined as a whole, and not individual parts thereof, in terms of their reliability and suitability. “Accounting records, electronic tax registers, tax memories and files generated by electronic tax registers” must be retained for at least: (a) a period...

30 Mar 2020

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Liability for transfer of a Group of assets (Article 479 CC)

in Civil Law, Special topics

According to Article 479 of the Civil Code, “Where assets or an undertaking have been transferred by contract, the transferee shall be liable to the creditor up to the value of the elements transferred for the debts of the assets or the undertaking. The transferor’s liability is not extinguished. Any agreement between the parties which damages the lenders is void against them”. It may be deduced from applying mutatis mutandis Article 25, second sub-paragraph, of the Civil Code and Article 4(4) of Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and the Council, of 17 June2008, on the law applicable to...

30 Mar 2020

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Abuse of the corporate form – Piercing/lifting of the corporate veil

in Civil Law, Special topics

According to established case-law, piercing / lifting of the corporate veil is justified where: i. the legal person is used as an interposed person, ii. there exists a dominant shareholder who prevails in a manner such as that the company does not operate as a legal person, and iii. the institution is being abused, i.e. insisting on the principle of separation would lead to results unacceptable by the law, and the dominant shareholder uses the legal person either to circumvent the law or to intentionally cause damage to third parties or to avoid complying with its obligations towards third parties. Under Greek law, the...

04 Mar 2020

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Alternative taxation method pursuant to Article 5A of Law 4172/2013, as added by Law No 4646/2019 (Greek Government Gazette No A’ 201/12.12.2019)