Accounting, tax and financial services for expats and foreign residents in Greece and overseas
Our experienced English speaking accountants specialise in tax and financial services for expats, foreign residents and foreigners with income or assets in Greece. Earning income overseas while still a resident in Greece, or earning income in Greece while living overseas and being domiciled overseas has certain tax liabilities in both Greece and other overseas countries (depending on which country you are living in).
We have helped expats, including Greek citizens, across the world as well as those living in Greece to optimise their tax structures and comply with tax requirements and regulations.
We have serviced people and businesses from across the globe including:
- America (USA)
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- South Africa
- Germany
- France
- Switzerland
- Canada
- Many more.
If you are a Greek expat living overseas in communities in America, Australia, and the United Kingdom, it is crucial you know your Greek tax obligations. In addition, if you are an expat or foreigner that is a resident in Greece for over 183 days per year, you will also have tax obligations in Greece as a Greek tax resident. Our team here at Tsaks Consulting usually help clients are are:
Greek Citizens who:
- Currently live abroad
- Are planning to live abroad
- Are returning to Greece
- Want to settle outstanding tax matters
- Want to understand their rights and tax obligations
For Greek expats living overseas who:
- Own property in Greece
- Earn income in Greece or overseas
- Are planning to purchase or sell property in Greece
- Need representation in Greece
- Want to know current taxation laws in Greece
Dual Greek/Third Party Citizens who:
- Own property in Greece
- Have an income in Greece as well as overseas
- Are living in Greece or overseas
- Have business activities in Greece
Understanding your tax obligations in Greece
It is important for Greek expats living abroad to declare any property or assets in Greece. If you own a house or land, have a car, business, or any other asset in Greece, you are required by law to file an annual tax return statement. In addition, on some property you will have to pay income tax if is rented out, as well as ENFIA and other property taxes.
Our specialist Greek tax accountants are experts at assisting Greek expats living internationally with understanding their obligations and fulfilling them. Speak to one of our English speaking Greek accountants to handle all your tax needs including completing your property property declaration, arranging your AFM, and other services. Our English speaking accountant in Greece help people living abroad in Greece to comply with their regulatory tax obligations.
Owning or acquiring property as a Greek expat and associated Greek property declarations
According to Greek property tax law obligations, property owners are required to report annually or on demand. Our expert Greek accountants understand the importance of declaring property and know the implications it may have on you Greek and foreign income or assets.
Tax obligations for property, annually and on demand:
- Tax property statement – annually
- Tax income statement – annually
- Inheritance statement – on demand
- Rental income statement – if applicable
- Tax property statement any time a property is sold or transferred
Tax forms for Greek citizens living overseas
Our specialist accountants in Greece are experts when it comes to the documentation required for Greek citizens living overseas. Greek tax law has numerous tax forms that are complex and selecting the right form can be difficult.
Tax forms required for Greek expats:Tax forms:
- Income tax form (E1) Greek expats living overseas who earn income in Greece are required to submit an E1 form.
- Rental tax form (E2) Greek expats living abroad earning income from rentals are required to submit an E2 form
- Real property form (E9) Greek expats living internationally should declare any real property assets by submitting and E9 form.
How we can help complete your income tax return/declaration in Greece
Of the three forms above, one of the most common forms which we complete for clients is the Income Tax Return (E1). This is essentially your tax return for your personal income and it is completed each year. For many people that do not have any overseas income, this is a very simple process which needs to be completed. Our team of accounting partners work on hundreds of income tax returns each year.
Where you are a Greek resident with overseas income, it is a bit more complicated as this income needs to be declared. However, our team are experienced in helping people with overseas or ‘worldwide’ income submit tax declarations and are able to provide guidance in this regard.
Other tax forms in Greece
Real estate forms:
- Lease Agreement For any rental income, it is mandatory that you authenticate lease agreements electronically, signed between the owner and tenant.
- ENFIA payment A real estate property tax (ENFIA) is levied annually on all Greek properties and is quite a complicated process.
- ENFIA certificates Owners wanting to transfer their property must complete an ENFIA certificate before a notary republic, proving they have paid the appropriate tax
- Buying or selling property For Greek expats overseas that buy or sell property in Greece, you will need to complete the required planning before a notary republic.
Forms for professionals:
- E1 form – for professionals Similar to income tax, professionals who earn income from business activities, interest earned on deposits, real estate investments, or any capital earned abroad must complete an E1 income tax form.
- E3 form – professionals with offices in Greece Greek expats living abroad with offices in Greece are required to complete an E3 tax form
Our tax and accounting services for expats and foreigners living in Greece
Dimitrios from our team leads our tax and accounting service. He is supported by our team of two partner accountants as well as two partner lawyers. We find the best approach to servicing your needs are short meetings and consistent communication over email. With this method, everything is documented and it’s easier to refer to previous content and issues as they arise.
Most of the time, we can act on your behalf if you are overseas and would like to appoint us to act on behalf of you. As your tax accountants, we see all the notifications issued by the tax department for you and can forward you any communication with some explanation of what is required.
If you are looking at completing some kind of tourist development, or undertaking other business activities, we are able to assist you with identifying funding opportunities provided by the Greek government through the ESPA and other schemes.
Our approach to servicing foreign residents in Greece is to:
- Communicate clearly and in email as much as possible.
- Respond to your emails as required.
- Keep you updated with any updates from the Tax office.
- Keep you informed about the amount of tax you may be required to pay so there are no surprises.
- Tell you we don’t know, if we don’t know something you ask, and then find the answer and come back to you. When dealing with tax treaties and foreigners, there are often occasions where we don’t know the answers to a question. We will check the law and/or enquiry with the tax office for clarification.
- Communicate in English.
- Work with you and other professionals as required. For example, if you have Civil engineers, lawyers or other professionals who you need to work with for property documentation and other issues. We can cooperate with any professional across Greece.
We are based in Athens and can service clients across all of Greece. The benefit of communicating with the tax department is everything is mostly now online. You can even reset your taxis net details online now through an online video call with the tax office. Our services also include:
- Tax filing for expats and foreigners in Greece and internationally
- Tax return for expats and foreigners in Greece and internationally
- Tax advice for expats and foreigners in Greece and internationally
- Bookkeeping for expats and foreign residents in Greece and internationally
- Help opening a business as an expat or foreign resident in Greece and internationally
After an initial meeting with us, you will understand the cost of an English speaking accountant in Greece and will understand if we are the best accountant for expats in Greece or if you would prefer to use another provider.
Immigration advice
Many of our clients request immigration, citizenship and other legal advice as these issues are often linked to tax affairs. We have a legal advisory service which compliments our tax service. More information can be found here.