The curtain rises for submitting this year’s tax returns on Monday, marking the start of a process affecting approximately 9 million taxpayers.
Tax return platform opens Monday
The new E1 form includes changes and new codes that lead to tax relief for freelancers and taxpayers with adult dependent children who have their own income, while the practice of pre-filled returns is extended to a significant number of citizens. The AADE electronic portal for submitting returns opens Monday, March 16 and will remain open until July 15, while over 1.5 million taxpayers, mainly employees and pensioners, will find their tax return pre-filled, pre-calculated and ready for submission.
Reduced standard living cost assessments and new tax reliefs
This year taxpayers will find that standard living cost assessments for residences, cars and pleasure craft have been reduced. At the same time, new mothers are exempt from imputed income, while the minimum standard living cost assessment of €3,000 does not apply to dependent adult children of taxpayers who have their own income. Additionally, the imputed income is halved for professionals who live and operate in settlements with populations up to 1,500 inhabitants, excluding those in the Attica Region except for the Islands Regional Unit.
Discount up to 4% for lump sum tax payment
Those who choose to pay their tax in full by the end of July receive a discount ranging from 2% to 4%, depending on when they submit their return. The discount is structured as follows: 4% if the return is submitted by April 30, 3% if submitted by June 15, and 2% if submitted by July 15.
Changes to the E1 form
According to the decision by AADE administrator Georgios Pitsilis, changes to the basic E1 tax return form concern specific codes.
- Codes 045-046 for exemption from standard assessments for freelancers are completed by new mother professionals, who are exempt from imputed income during the year of their child’s birth and for the following two years.
- A new code 079 was added, which eliminates the minimum objective expense for adult dependent unmarried children up to 25 years old who attend school or are unemployed, registered with DYPA, or serving military service and have their own income.
- Columns for codes 419-420 for property rent, except main residence of dependent children who study, have been modified, as AFM of owner, area in square meters and lease declaration number are now required.
Tax returns: Points that need attention
1. Income and tax withholdings appear pre-filled through the myAADE application and related codes are locked. In case of error, the taxpayer must contact the issuing authority to send a corrected file.
2. Taxpayers must cover 30% of their income with electronic transactions. If the limit is not met, an additional 22% tax is imposed on the difference.
3. Standard living cost assessments for residences, cars and other assets may raise imputed income above declared income. The difference can be covered by savings from previous years, asset sales, loans, gifts, parental provisions, inheritances or gambling winnings.
4. Correct declaration of protected children can reduce final tax from €900 to over €1,800, depending on family status.
5. Taxpayers can submit the pre-filled return themselves, even if they disagree with its data. If changes occur after automatic finalization, a notice is sent for re-examination.
6. Any corrections can be made with an amended return until July 15, 2026, without penalty.
7. Income tax is paid in eight monthly installments, with the first due at the end of July.
8. Those expecting tax refunds must have correctly declared their IBAN account in the myAADE digital portal for the amount to be credited.
Tax returns: What applies to professionals
Reduced by 50% are the amounts of minimum imputed income arising from objective taxation criteria for self-employed individuals who have their headquarters and main residence in settlements with populations from 501 to 1,500 inhabitants. A corresponding reduction applies to settlements with populations up to 1,700 inhabitants located in regions of Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace that border the country. Also reduced by 50% are the minimum imputed income amounts for self-employed individuals operating school canteens, while imputed income is reduced by 30% for professional retailers at farmers’ markets.
Self-employed new mothers who had children in 2025, either through birth, adoption or fostering, are also exempt from objective taxation criteria, with the exemption valid for three years. Finally, itinerant lottery sellers are excluded from the imputed taxation method and will be taxed independently at 1% on commissions received from lottery sales for 2025 income.
Published in Moneypro of Parapolitika
