How is cryptocurrency taxed in Greece?

Where does a crypto transaction end and your obligation to the tax office begin? To answer that, we separate buying and holding from selling, swapping or receiving rewards. Selling Bitcoin, staking rewards and being paid for work in crypto don’t automatically go into the same tax basket.

Say you buy crypto for €1,000 and later sell it for €1,300. The difference is €300 before fees and other related costs. The example shows the difference between the amount you received and your economic gain. On its own, it doesn’t determine either the tax or how you report it.

Why it matters

Your tax residence determines the scope of your obligations. Greece’s Income Tax Code, Law 4172/2013, provides in Article 3 that, in general, a Greek tax resident is taxed on their taxable income from Greece and abroad. Using a foreign exchange doesn’t rule out Greek tax obligations.

Also, withdrawing euros to your bank isn’t the only event that needs to be looked at. Swaps between cryptocurrencies, payments for services, mining and staking each need to be examined separately. How frequent and organized the activity is can also affect how it is classified.

What to watch out for

We insist on documentation: keep a history of your transactions, with dates, quantities, euro values, fees and proof of transfers. A transfer between two of your own wallets isn’t a sale in itself, but you need records to prove exactly what happened.

Don’t assume a single flat tax rate or specific tax return codes just because you read about them on a forum. MiCA regulates the crypto-asset market; it doesn’t set a common income tax for all crypto holders.

The exact treatment requires checking the legislation and the guidance of AADE (Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue) for the relevant tax year, with an accountant who knows your transactions. This explanation is general information, not personalized tax advice.