Acquiring property in Greece

Acquiring property in Greece By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 28 March 2025 Buying property in Greece requires both legal and technical due diligence to ensure a smooth transaction and to avoid legal or technical issues. A prospective buyer, especially one who does not live in Greece, would consider the following, once he/she has decided which property to buy and at what price. The most important part of due diligence in acquiring real estate property in Greece is the legal title search. Hiring a lawyer specializing in real estate law is essential to verify property ownership, legal status, and any encumbrances. The attorney will be chosen and hired by the buyer and ideally should not have been already involved with the seller, to avoid ethical conflict. The most important issue is the title deed verification, which will ensure for the buyer the confirmation that the seller has a clear and undisputed ownership title. The title check will verify and examine not only the last acquisition of the property by the present seller, but also the previous deeds and transactions, going back a minimum of twenty and ideally forty or more years, to ensure that proper legal transfers of the property have taken place in the past. The lawyer will also ensure the title is registered correctly with the Hellenic Cadastre (Ktimatologio) more recently, and with the old land registry several years or decades ago. The title search will also include check for any legal burdens (e.g., mortgages, liens, claims, or legal disputes). Another part of the legal check involves tax and financial obligations. It will confirm the seller has paid all property taxes, including ENFIA (property tax) and municipal taxes and it will require the seller to obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate. A prospective buyer in Greece presently (March 2025) will not have to pay VAT on a newly built property, since the related tax regulations have been suspended for the last several years. It is not certain, however, for how many more years the suspension of the law for VAT on new houses / apartments will last. Especially when the property to be acquired is not an apartment, but a house or a plot, the seller should retain also a civil engineer or architect, to check legal compliance & permits, to ensure that any structures on the property were built legally and have the required permits, to confirm compliance with Greek planning laws and to check for any pending fines or violations. The technical check will also include a recent survey map for verification that the plot or land complies with local zoning laws and whether it is suitable for the intended use (residential, commercial, or investment). Checks with regards to any building restrictions, especially in coastal, archaeological, or forested areas must also be done. The deed by which the property will be acquired is signed before a notary in Greece, who has the responsibility to collect, review and attach to the deed all certificates and other documents required by law, in order to ensure that the recent measurements of the property match the titles and in general to provide an accurate legal and technical description of the property in a way that outlines a detailed identity for the real estate which is being transferred from the seller to the buyer. The notarial deed must be registered with the land registry or cadastre in order to obtain legal validity. The notary is traditionally chosen and paid by the buyer. Although payment of the consideration (the price for the property) by the buyer can be done via a foreign bank, it is advisable that the buyer should open an account at a Greek bank, in order to be able to do transactions related to the property to be purchased. The buyer must obtain a Greek tax number called AFM. The buyer will remain a foreign tax resident for the Greek tax authority, so that he/she does not have to file taxes in Greece for income acquired in another country. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

The 2025 property tax must now be paid

The 2025 property tax in Greece must now be paid By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 16 March 2025 The Greek tax authority has uploaded the yearly property tax to be paid by almost all property owners. The state has issued earlier than ever before within the year, the amount which every property owner must pay. The annual property tax called ENFIA is paid by owners of apartments, houses, buildings, plots, lands, parking lots and in general by anyone who owns any type of real estate in the country. The owner must pay this tax irrespective of whether they own the full ownership of any property or a share of it, or just the bare ownership or the usufruct. The ENFIA property tax this year can be paid in twelve monthly installments, starting from end of March 2025. The property tax in Greece is low, compared to other countries, especially if your total personal real estate property is worth below 500,000 Euros or if you do not own one single property right worth more than 400,000 Euros. The tax authority evaluation of properties is usually slightly lower than market values, although there are cases where the state evaluation is higher than the market price. Each physical person or legal entity (i.e. company, organization etc.), owning real estate in Greece, must pay the annual property tax for properties they own and which they must have listed in their E9 tax form. Each time anyone obtains or disposes off property in Greece, they must lodge the transaction with the tax authority in their E9 form, which lists all their real estate assets. The tax authority each year estimates the tax values of the properties which are listed in the E9 form of every taxpayer and it imposes the property tax. This tax is practically paid by the person who owned the property on the first day of each year. If you sell your property in February, you must normally pay the property tax for that year, unless you agree otherwise with the buyer, something which rarely happens. If a property is not lodged with the tax office E9 form, it will not incur property tax. But if your property is not listed in your E9 form essentially you cannot do anything with it. If you wish to sell it or gift it, or rent it, or get a loan / mortgage by a bank, or claim it before a court of low in case of a trespass or boundary dispute, you will not be able to do it. Therefore, every property owner in Greece must declare all their real estate assets in their E9 tax form and then pay every year the ENFIA property tax. If you own property in Greece you will not receive any notice by mail, or even e-mail stating the exact amount of this property tax that you must pay. You may only receive an e-mail by the tax office, alerting you that you must pay the tax for the properties that you own. You, your accountant or your lawyer must go on line using your username and password to enter your on-line tax file, go to the specific sections of the site and find out how much it is that you must pay. The tax is paid usually on line, either via internet banking (the payment will show in about three business days), or even better, using your credit or debit cards (the payment will show immediately). This year for the first time property owners who live outside of Greece have the option to pay their taxes in Greece using their credit or debit cards issued by foreign (non – Greek) banks, essentially just as they buy items or pay for services on line. They only need to be familiar with the site of the Greek tax authority, which is only in Greek, and after a few clicks they can pay their taxes in Greece. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

Ο κοινός λογαριασμός δεν κληρονομείται ούτε φορολογείται

Ο κοινός λογαριασμός δεν κληρονομείται ούτε φορολογείται Του Χρήστου Ηλιόπουλου* Αθήνα, 16 Μαϊου 2025 Πολλές φορές προκύπτουν αντιδικίες που φθάνουν στα δικαστήρια αναφορικώς με κοινούς τραπεζικούς λογαριασμούς, όταν ένας εκ των συνδικαιούχων του λογαριασμού πεθαίνει. Οι διαμάχες μπορεί να προκύψουν εξ αιτίας της αξίωσης των κληρονόμων του θανόντος να κληρονομήσουν τον κοινό λογαριασμό, επειδή πιστεύουν ότι ως κληρονόμοι του θανόντος κληρονομούν και τον κοινό τραπεζικό λογαριασμό ή έστω μέρος αυτού. Ο νόμος, όμως, στην Ελλάδα, όπως και σε πολλές άλλες χώρες, ορίζει διαφορετικά. Εάν επί παραδείγματι σ’ έναν κοινό τραπεζικό λογαριασμό μεταξύ τριών προσώπων, του Α, του Β και του Γ, πεθάνει ο Β, τα χρήματα του κοινού λογαριασμού ή έστω το μερίδιο του Β που πέθανε, δεν τα κληρονομούν οι κληρονόμοι του Β, αλλά παραμένουν στον κοινό λογαριασμό και οι μόνοι που δικαιούνται να τα λάβουν είναι οι επιζώντες συνδικαιούχοι, δηλαδή ο Α και ο Γ. Αυτό συμβαίνει εφόσον κατά το άνοιγμα του κοινού τραπεζικού λογαριασμού είχε τεθεί ο όρος του άρθρου 2 του Νόμου 5638/1932, που ορίζει ακριβώς αυτό, ότι δηλαδή σε κατάθεση που είναι κοινή μεταξύ περισσοτέρων του ενός, σε περίπτωση θανάτου του ενός εκ των καταθετών, το υπόλοιπο της κατάθεσης δικαιούται να το λάβει ο επιζών καταθέτης και όχι οι κληρονόμοι του θανόντος καταθέτη. Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι ο όρος του άρθρου 2 τίθεται σχεδόν αυτόματα με το άνοιγμα κάθε κοινού τραπεζικού λογαριασμού σε ελληνική τράπεζα. Ένα άλλο ζήτημα που μπορεί να τεθεί σε περίπτωση θανάτου ενός εκ των καταθετών ενός κοινού λογαριασμού είναι εάν το υπόλοιπο της τραπεζικής κατάθεσης κατά τον χρόνο θανάτου υπόκειται σε φόρο κληρονομίας. Η απάντηση είναι ότι η κατάθεση σε κοινό τραπεζικό λογαριασμό δεν υπόκειται σε φόρο κληρονομίας κατά τον θάνατο ενός εκ των συνδικαιούχων του λογαριασμού. Μόνο όταν έχουν αποβιώσει όλοι οι συνδικαιούχοι και έχει μείνει ένας μόνο, τότε η κατάθεση έχει παύσει πλέον να είναι κοινή, ο λογαριασμός έχει μετατραπεί σε ατομικό, οπότε με τον θάνατο του ενός και μοναδικού καταθέτη, οι κληρονόμοι του υποχρεούνται να δηλώσουν το υπόλοιπο της κατάθεσης στην εφορία και να πληρώσουν φόρο κληρονομίας, εφόσον βεβαίως το ποσό της κατάθεσης δεν είναι μικρότερο του αφορολόγητου ορίου αναλόγως των λεπτομερειών της κάθε κληρονομικής υπόθεσης. Κατ’ αυτόν τον τρόπο, εάν υπάρχει κοινός τραπεζικός λογαριασμός μεταξύ γονέα και τέκνου και αποβιώσει ο γονέας, το υπόλοιπο του λογαριασμού το λαμβάνει το τέκνο, το οποίο δεν πληρώνει φόρο κληρονομίας. Διευκρινίζεται ότι το τέκνο λαμβάνει το υπόλοιπο του λογαριασμού όχι ως κληρονόμος, αλλά ως συνδικαιούχος του λογαριασμού. Το ίδιο συμβαίνει ανεξαρτήτως το αν οι συνδικαιούχοι του λογαριασμού είναι μεταξύ τους συγγενείς ή όχι. Στον κοινό λογαριασμό μεταξύ του Α και του Β, οι οποίοι δεν έχουν καμία συγγένεια μεταξύ τους, σε περίπτωση θανάτου του Α ή του Β, ο έτερος που επιζεί είναι και ο δικαιούχος της κατάθεσης, χωρίς να πληρώνει φόρο κληρονομίας και χωρίς να δικαιούνται της καταθέσεως οι κληρονόμοι του αποβιώσαντος συνδικαιούχου του λογαριασμού. Στην υπ’ αριθ. 11.969/2024 απόφασή του το Διοικητικό Πρωτοδικείο Αθηνών έκρινε υπόθεση κοινού τραπεζικού λογαριασμού, στην οποία η φορολογική αρχή επέβαλε φόρο κληρονομίας στην συνδικαιούχο του λογαριασμού, μετά τον θάνατο ετέρου συνδικαιούχου. Το Δικαστήριο έκρινε, όπως αναμενόταν, ότι η επιβολή φόρου κληρονομίας από το κράτος σε υπόλοιπο κοινής τραπεζικής κατάθεσης μετά τον θάνατο ενός εκ των συνδικαιούχων δεν είναι σύμφωνη με το νόμο. Γι’ αυτό το Δικαστήριο ακύρωσε τον φόρο και διέταξε την επιστροφή από την εφορία στην συνδικαιούχο του λογαριασμού τυχόν ποσών που εκείνη είχε ήδη καταβάλει ως φόρο κληρονομίας. *Ο Χρήστος Ηλιόπουλος είναι Δικηγόρος παρ’ Αρείω Πάγω, Master of Laws. www.greekadvocate.eu bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

Power of attorney abroad for transactions in Greece

Power of attorney abroad for transactions in Greece By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 2 February 2025 When someone wants to sign a real estate transaction in Greece but does not reside in the country, he/she can sign the deed indirectly, by signing a power of attorney (POA) at the country where he/she lives, by which they empower someone who lives in Greece to sign on their behalf. The person who signs the POA is the principal and the person who receives the mandates and the powers to act on behalf of the principal, is the agent or attorney. The POA can be signed in the foreign country, at the Consulate of Greece which is nearest the residence of the principal. In that case, the POA will be executed only in the Greek language. If the principal does not understand Greek, an interpreter will interpret the text of the POA in the language the principal understands. Alternatively, the POA can be signed at a notary public, in the language of the country where the notary resides or even in Greek sometimes. If the POA is signed before a notary, it usually needs the Apostille, meaning the certification of the Convention of the Hague of 5 October 1961, to be valid in Greece. Signing a POA facilitates the property transaction in Greece, without the need the party to be present in Greece during the various legal stages of that transaction and at the time of the closing and of the signing of the final deed. It is possible that both parties to the transaction are not physically present, since both may have signed powers of attorney, so the transaction can be signed by two agents or attorneys. In Greek law it is even possible, the same person to sign on behalf of both parties, provided the parties do not have conflicting interests and the POA text specifically allows it. For example, the same agent could sign a parental gift from parent to child, representing parent and child at the same time, but not a negotiated property purchase deed, since seller and buyer usually have conflicting interests and thus can’t be represented by the same attorney. In the case of a parental gift, where the parent gifts real estate property to a child, if neither party is physically present in Greece, two powers of attorney must be signed, each of them with different content. One is signed by the parent, and primarily provides power to the agent to gift the property to a specific child. The other POA is signed by the child, primarily giving power to the agent to accept the specific parental gift. Equally, if the transaction involves the sale/purchase of immovable property, each party, seller and buyer, can sign the preparatory documents and the closing deed either physically, or by power of attorney, which they have previously signed at a Greek Consulate, or at a notary, in Greece or abroad. Sometimes, the entire process involves more than one transaction. For instance, it may be that the seller first needs to accept the inheritance of a deceased, and then to actually sell the inherited property. This will be done with two separate deeds, both signed before a notary in Greece. One is the acceptance of inheritance and the other is the sale deed. Both transactions can be included in the same POA, as long as the principal is aware of the legal situation, has discussed in detail with an attorney in Greece and has made up his mind on whether he will sell the property right after he has formally inherited it. In other cases, once a property sale has been negotiated, it is discovered by the notary and the attorneys, that the property deed needs to be modified and corrected, before the asset can be sold. Usually, when a deed must be corrected, the agent (attorney) working for the seller, must have specific POA to sign a specific type of modification of the title deed. Even if the seller and his attorney in Greece have diligently prepared the case and the specific POA which is required, it may be that subsequently it is the civil engineer who discovers different technical specifications of the property, which are not mentioned in the much older deed, which require a modification of the title of the property, before it can be sold. The principal, who signs the POA, must trust his/her agent, to whom they give powers to act on behalf of them, with regards to their property in Greece, in order to ensure that their interests are served and their instructions are followed. The specific text of each POA must be provided by the attorney and/or the notary in Greece, who are responsible for drafting the deed of transfer of the property. Each case has significant particularities and, although basic standard drafts of a purchase or a sale POA do exist, in the vast majority of cases they need significant modifications and adaptions to the specific circumstances of each property transaction, given the numerous requirements of Greek law for property transactions. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr