In short: As of 2026, Greece taxes personal income on a progressive scale: 9% on the first €10,000, 20% from €10,001-€20,000, 26% from €20,001-€30,000, 34% from €30,001-€40,000, 39% from €40,001-€60,000, and 44% above €60,000. Each rate applies only to the income inside that band. The special solidarity contribution has been abolished for private-sector employment income and pensions. Returns are filed electronically through AADE’s myAADE portal. Figures can change, so confirm with the official source when in doubt.
If you earn a salary, a pension, or business income in Greece, your income tax (φόρος εισοδήματος) follows a progressive scale: the more you earn, the higher the rate on each additional slice. As of 2026, rates run from 9% up to 44%, the old special solidarity contribution has been removed from employment income and pensions, and returns are filed online through the tax authority (AADE). This lesson explains the building blocks so the numbers on your tax notice stop feeling like a mystery. It is educational background, not personal tax advice.
Find your annual taxable income. For most employees this is gross salary minus mandatory social security contributions; pensions and business profits have their own rules.
Apply the progressive scale slice by slice. Only the part of your income that falls inside each band is taxed at that band’s rate, not your whole income.
Subtract any tax reductions or credits you qualify for, such as the basic reduction for lower incomes and extra relief tied to dependent children.
File your annual return online through the myAADE portal during the filing window (roughly mid-March to mid-July), where much of the data is pre-filled.
What matters
Greece’s personal income tax is a progressive tax administered by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, known as AADE (Ανεξάρτητη Αρχή Δημοσίων Εσόδων). Progressive means your income is sliced into bands, and each band carries its own rate. As of 2026 the scale for employment income, pensions, and business profits is: 9% on income up to €10,000; 20% on the slice from €10,001 to €20,000; 26% from €20,001 to €30,000; 34% from €30,001 to €40,000; 39% from €40,001 to €60,000; and 44% on anything above €60,000. A common misunderstanding is that crossing into a higher band re-taxes your whole income at the higher rate; it does not. Only the money inside each band is taxed at that band’s rate, which is why your effective rate is always gentler than your top marginal rate.
A notable 2026 change is the removal of the special solidarity contribution from private-sector employment income and pensions. In earlier years this was an extra levy stacked on top of income tax for higher earners. Its abolition simplifies the picture: for most employees and pensioners, the headline progressive scale is now the main income tax they face, alongside separate social security contributions that are deducted before tax. Note that rental income and certain other categories follow their own separate scales and rules.
Tax reductions can lower the final bill. There is a basic reduction aimed at lower and middle incomes, and additional relief connected to the number of dependent children. Greece has also introduced lighter treatment for younger workers in recent reforms. Because the exact reduction amounts and eligibility conditions are adjusted from year to year, treat any specific figure you read as a snapshot and verify it on the official portal. Filing itself is digital: through myAADE you confirm pre-filled data, add anything missing, and submit during the annual window. Keeping clean records of income and any deductible items throughout the year makes that submission far smoother.
ExampleSuppose your annual taxable income is €30,000. The tax is built slice by slice: the first €10,000 at 9% = €900; the next €10,000 (from €10,001 to €20,000) at 20% = €2,000; and the next €10,000 (from €20,001 to €30,000) at 26% = €2,600. Adding those gives roughly €5,500 in income tax before any reductions. That works out to an effective rate of about 18% on €30,000, even though the top band you reached was 26%. Any reductions you qualify for (for example for dependent children) would lower this further. Figures rounded and illustrative; confirm current rates and reductions on aade.gr.
To see how even small annual tax savings could grow if you invested them, try Kontoo’s /compound-interest-calculator. For the binding rules and current figures, the official portal is AADE at aade.gr.
In depth
Marginal vs effective rate
Your marginal rate is the rate on your next euro of income (the top band you reach); your effective rate is total tax divided by total income. Because of the banded structure, the effective rate is always lower. In the €30,000 example, the marginal rate is 26% but the effective rate is about 18%. Understanding this distinction helps you judge how a raise or extra freelance income is actually taxed.
Why the solidarity contribution mattered
The special solidarity contribution was introduced during Greece’s debt crisis as an extra levy on higher incomes. Its phased removal, completed for private-sector employment income and pensions, reduces the total burden and simplifies payslips. It is a good example of why you should re-check tax rules periodically: a levy that existed for years can be abolished, and old guides may still mention it.
AADE and digital filing
AADE is Greece’s independent tax authority, and its myAADE portal is the central hub for filing returns, viewing assessments, and managing tax affairs. Much of your income data arrives pre-filled from employers and funds, so your job is largely to verify, correct, and add anything missing. When a figure in this lesson and the portal disagree, the portal is authoritative.
Checklist
Greece taxes income progressively, so each band’s rate applies only to the income inside that band.
As of 2026 the scale runs from 9% on the first €10,000 up to 44% above €60,000.
The special solidarity contribution has been abolished for private-sector employment income and pensions.
Annual returns are filed online through AADE’s myAADE portal during a window that typically runs mid-March to mid-July.
Common myths
Myth: Once I earn more than €60,000, all of my income is taxed at 44%.
Reality: Only the portion above €60,000 is taxed at 44%. Every slice below is taxed at its own lower rate, so your overall effective rate stays well under 44%.
Myth: I still owe a separate solidarity contribution on top of my income tax.
Reality: As of 2026 the special solidarity contribution has been removed for private-sector employment income and pensions, so for most workers and pensioners it no longer applies as a separate charge.
Is there still a solidarity contribution on top of income tax?
No. As of 2026 the special solidarity contribution (ειδική εισφορά αλληλεγγύης) has been abolished for private-sector employment income and pensions, so it no longer appears as a separate column on those types of income. Always check the current rules on aade.gr if your situation is unusual.
Does the 44% rate apply to my whole income once I cross €60,000?
No. Greece uses a banded (progressive) system, so 44% applies only to the part of your income above €60,000. The slices below are taxed at their lower rates, so your average (effective) rate is always lower than the top band you reach.
How and when do I file my income tax return in Greece?
You file electronically through the myAADE portal run by the tax authority (AADE). As of 2026 the annual filing window runs roughly from mid-March to mid-July, with much of the income data pre-filled. Check aade.gr for the exact dates each year.
