Greece sets 2 billion euros for housing loans and raises the tax on non-EU buyers
Greece's new package includes a 2 billion euro housing-loan programme through the Hellenic Development Bank. The property transfer tax for buyers from outside the European Union rises from 3 per cent to 15 per cent. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's 2.2 billion euro package also provides income-tax relief for farmers and families with three children, alongside payments to pensioners and public servants on different timetables.
Economics & Markets··Midday
Housing loans and a higher tax on foreign buyers
Greece's housing measures include a 2 billion euro lending programme administered through the Hellenic Development Bank. The property transfer tax paid by buyers from outside the European Union rises from 3 per cent to 15 per cent. The package therefore supports access to housing through credit while increasing the tax burden on a defined category of overseas purchases. Both measures sit among the thirty policies Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair.[1]
Tax relief extends to farmers and families
Farmers whose main occupation is farming will pay no income tax on earnings up to 20,000 euros from the 2026 tax year. Families with three children receive the same exemption from 2027. The advance tax payment falls from 55 per cent to 50 per cent for the 2027 tax year, while the levy on business activity is abolished outside Attica. Mitsotakis said the tax and income measures would be phased in through December 2027.[1]
Payments follow a timetable spanning two years
The annual payment for pensioners over 65 rises to 400 euros from November 2026. Public servants receive a gross Christmas bonus of 500 euros from December 2027. The monthly minimum wage rises first to 950 euros and then to 1,000 euros in 2028. Euronext / Reuters reported annual economic growth of 2 per cent and a government expectation that this year's primary surplus would reach about 4 per cent of GDP, almost twice the initial forecast.[1], [2]
