Capital gains tax · Greece
Work with a capital gains tax lawyer in Greece who knows the local file
Selling Greek property, shares or a business interest raises questions that are answered under Greek law, in Greek, before Greek authorities. Tell us what you are facing and we match you with a lawyer whose practice covers capital gains and property taxation in Greece — at no cost to you.
- Lawyers admitted to a Greek Bar Association
- Property, share and cross-border estate matters
- Matched in 24–48 hours, free of charge
Confidential, no obligation, and no fee for the matching itself.
Get matched with a lawyer
Tell us about your situation and receive a free, confidential case review.
Why this page exists
A Greek tax file needs a Greek-qualified lawyer
A gain on the sale of Greek property, shares or a business interest is assessed under Greek law, in Greek, before Greek authorities. If you are a non-resident owner, an expatriate or an investor who has just signed a notarial deed, the practical questions arrive quickly: who files, what evidence counts, and what happens if the tax office disagrees. A capital gains tax lawyer in Greece works inside that system every day. Our role is narrower and simpler: you describe your situation, and we match you free of charge with a Greek-qualified lawyer whose practice covers the tax treatment of disposals, the notarial and cadastral formalities around a transfer, and appeals before the administrative courts. No directories to trawl, no obligation, no cost to be matched.
Greece in practice
How Greek law structures a capital gains matter
Greece is a civil-law country where codified statutes, not binding precedent, govern, and where property transfers, court routes and professional fees are regulated in detail. These are the structural points that matter most when a disposal, a transfer or a cross-border estate is involved.
Statute, not precedent, decides
Greece follows the continental civil-law model: the Civil Code (Astikós Kódikas), in force since 23 February 1946 and codified by Presidential Decree 456/1984, together with the Constitution of 1975, is the primary source of law. Decisions of the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) secure uniform interpretation of the statutes but are not formally binding precedent.
Where disputes about tax decisions are heard
Greek courts are organised in three jurisdictions: civil, criminal and administrative. Administrative justice forms a separate branch under the Council of State (Symvoúlio tis Epikrateías), and the Court of Auditors (Elegktikó Synédrio) has jurisdiction over fiscal audit matters. Under Article 1 of the Code of Lawyers, a lawyer represents clients before every court, authority and public service.
Who is allowed to practise in Greece
Membership of a Bar Association is compulsory in order to practise law in Greece. Under Article 4 of Law 4194/2013 (the Code of Lawyers), a person becomes a dikigóros by passing the nationwide bar examinations, obtaining a ministerial appointment published in the Government Gazette, taking the statutory oath and being entered on a Bar register. Article 6 requires Greek, EU or EEA citizenship.
Fees: written agreement, or the statutory scale
Under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers, a lawyer’s fee is freely determined by written agreement with the client and may cover the whole proceedings, part of them or specific acts. Where there is no written agreement, the fee is fixed by the statutory scale based on the value of the matter, which also serves as the basis for legal aid. Fees carry 24% VAT.
Notarial deed, registration and transfer tax
A transfer of Greek immovable property must be effected by notarial deed, and ownership passes only upon registration with the competent Land Registry or Cadastral Office — registration is constitutive, not merely declaratory (Articles 1033 and 1192 of the Civil Code). Real Estate Transfer Tax of 3% must be paid before the deed is signed. Only lawyers, bailiffs and notaries may conduct searches at the registries.
Cross-border sales, succession and forced heirship
In cross-border successions Greece applies EU Regulation 650/2012, so the law of the deceased’s habitual residence generally governs the succession as a whole, although a testator may elect the law of their nationality. Greek forced heirship reserves half of the intestate share for descendants and the surviving spouse, and gifts made in the last ten years before death are added back when that reserved portion is calculated.
Key time limit — Tax Law
Inheritance tax return filing — 9 months (death in Greece) / 1 year (death abroad). The filing period differs according to whether the death occurred in Greece or abroad.
This page relies only on official sources — the Greek Ministry of Justice, AADE, the Athens Bar Association and the European Union’s e-Justice portal — and reflects the wording published at the links above.
- European Judicial Network – National justice systems: Greece
- Athens Bar Association – status of the lawyer (Code of Lawyers, Law 4194/2013)
- Greek Civil Code (Presidential Decree 456/1984) – Ministry of Justice
- European Judicial Network – Costs of legal proceedings: Greece
- AADE – Inheritance tax for Greeks abroad and non-residents
- AADE – Tax obligations arising from loss of life
- European Judicial Network – Succession and the European Certificate of Succession
- Hellenic Ministry of Labour – termination of open-ended employment contracts
The problem you are facing
Three situations we see most often
None of them is unusual, and none of them has to be handled alone.
The correspondence arrives in Greek
A query or reassessment lands with a procedural deadline attached and assumes knowledge you may not have. Many owners only discover how the process works once the exchange has already started. A query or reassessment lands with a procedural deadline attached and assumes knowledge you may not have. Many owners only discover how the process works once the exchange has already started.
You are selling from another country
You have signed, or are about to sign, a notarial deed for Greek property while living abroad. Notarial form and cadastral registration are constitutive in Greece, so the sequence of steps matters, and a lawyer acting under a notarised special power of attorney can represent you. You have signed, or are about to sign, a notarial deed for Greek property while living abroad. Notarial form and cadastral registration are constitutive in Greece, so the sequence of steps matters, and a lawyer acting under a notarised special power of attorney can represent you.
One disposal, several procedures
A single transaction can touch the tax treatment of the gain, the transfer formalities and, later, an inheritance. In Greece those strands run through separate procedures and, potentially, separate courts, which is where general advice tends to run out. A single transaction can touch the tax treatment of the gain, the transfer formalities and, later, an inheritance. In Greece those strands run through separate procedures and, potentially, separate courts, which is where general advice tends to run out.
What you get
Matching built around Greek practice
Four things we can promise, and one thing we never do: promise an outcome.
Greek-qualified lawyers only
Every lawyer we match is admitted to a Greek Bar Association under Law 4194/2013, so you are speaking to someone who practises in the jurisdiction where your matter will be decided.
Cover for the whole file
We look for practices that handle the tax treatment of a disposal, the notarial and cadastral steps around a transfer, and representation in the administrative branch if a formal dispute arises.
Fees explained before you commit
In Greece a lawyer’s fee is freely agreed in writing with the client, or fixed by the statutory scale where no written agreement exists, and fees are subject to 24% VAT. You see the basis before you instruct.
Free and confidential matching
You describe the matter once. We identify suitable practices, and you decide whether to instruct one. Being matched costs nothing and places you under no obligation at any stage.
Elsewhere in Europe
Cross-border sellers and owners
Many Greek tax and property files involve a client who lives in another European country. If your matter also touches another jurisdiction, we can look for lawyers in the relevant country as well as in Greece.
Frequently asked questions
Capital gains and property tax in Greece
Do I need a capital gains tax lawyer in Greece if I have already sold?
Often it is precisely after the sale that a lawyer becomes useful. The deed may be signed and registration completed, but the tax treatment of the gain, any correspondence from the authorities and the supporting evidence still have to be handled under Greek procedure and within Greek time limits.
Which Greek courts deal with disputes over tax decisions?
Greece has three separate jurisdictions: civil, criminal and administrative. Administrative justice forms its own branch under the Council of State (Symvoúlio tis Epikrateías), while the Court of Auditors (Elegktikó Synédrio) has jurisdiction over fiscal audit matters. A lawyer may represent you before every court, authority and public service.
How are lawyers’ fees set in Greece?
Under Article 58 of the Code of Lawyers, the fee is freely determined by written agreement with the client, whether for the whole proceedings, part of them or specific acts. Where there is no written agreement, it is fixed by the statutory scale based on the value of the matter. Fees carry 24% VAT.
Can I sell Greek property without travelling to Greece?
Yes in practice, through representation. The transfer itself must be effected by notarial deed, and ownership passes only when that deed is registered with the Land Registry or Cadastral Office, which is constitutive rather than declaratory. A party to a real-estate transaction may act through a lawyer holding a notarised special power of attorney.
What time limits should I watch in a Greek property or tax matter?
Greek civil law sets a general 20-year limitation period for civil claims, while commercial, professional-fee and periodic claims are time-barred after five years. Tort claims follow a five-year period with a 20-year absolute ceiling. Where an inheritance is involved, the return is normally filed within nine months of a death in Greece.
How does your matching service work?
You send us the essentials of your situation: the asset, the transaction or the correspondence you have received. We identify lawyers whose practice covers that kind of Greek matter and put you in contact. There is no charge for the matching, and you are free to decide whether to instruct.
Next step
Describe your Greek capital gains matter
Tell us about the disposal, the deed you are about to sign or the letter you have received. We will match you with a capital gains tax lawyer in Greece who handles work of that kind — free of charge and without obligation.