Income tax generated by this year’s tax returns has surpassed €5.1 billion, marking a new all-time high. According to the latest data from Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), approximately 6.83 million returns had been filed by October 5 — roughly 100,000 more than the 6.73 million submitted by July 24, when the standard filing deadline expired.
Income tax record high: The role of rising incomes and presumptive taxation
The total is already up by approximately €53.4 million compared to last year, when income tax reached €5.069 billion, with the final settlement expected to push the figure even higher. The upward trend in income tax has been consistent over recent years: €3.207 billion was assessed in 2022, €3.79 billion in 2023, €4.814 billion in 2024, and €5.069 billion in 2025. The increase is attributed primarily to higher declared incomes, the application of minimum presumptive income thresholds for self-employed professionals, and the expansion of electronic cross-checks by the tax authority.
The rise in nominal wages — driven by increases in the minimum wage and seniority pay — combined with higher average earnings, has pushed a portion of taxpayers into higher tax brackets. This translated into a greater tax burden at the time of settlement. The presumptive taxation system for self-employed professionals has also had a significant impact. For approximately 400,000 professionals, the minimum presumptive income for tax year 2025 increased by around 6%, rising to €12,320 from €11,620. For those taxed on a presumptive basis, the final income tax bill increased by as much as 33.8% compared to the previous year.
At the same time, the intensification of electronic cross-referencing and the expansion of pre-filled tax returns are narrowing the margin for discrepancies between the figures declared by taxpayers and those held by the tax authority.
AADE: Automatic penalties for late tax filings — who is exempt
Taxpayers who file their returns after the deadline face automatic penalties, provided that the assessed tax exceeds €100. Exemptions apply to late returns filed on behalf of minors, as well as income tax returns filed by a parent for income earned by minor children.
Meanwhile, AADE has begun automatically imposing fines for late filing. The process was launched this year for legal entities and is expected to be extended to individuals in the near future. Penalties are issued and communicated automatically through the myAADE digital portal, without requiring prior intervention by the tax authority.
