Accountant for Freelancers in Thessaloniki: Your 2026 Obligations
e-EFKA contributions, the new tax scale, advance tax, imputed minimum income, VAT and mandatory e-invoicing from 1 October 2026: what a freelancer in Greece needs to plan for this year and how an accountant in Thessaloniki helps.
A freelancer in Thessaloniki pays more than income tax. There is e-EFKA, the Greek social security fund, every month, regular VAT returns, a summer tax bill that includes an advance payment on next year's tax and, from 1 October 2026, mandatory e-invoicing for sales to other businesses.
At our office we often see the same pattern: healthy turnover, then in July a tax bill nobody expected, because the advance tax or the imputed minimum income had not been factored in. Below is what applies as of September 2026 and how an accountant keeps it under control.
e-EFKA contributions: category, amounts and payment deadline
Self-employed professionals in Greece are insured in one of six categories, regardless of their income. People insured for the first time may choose a reduced special category for their first five years of insurance. The 2026 amounts are set by e-EFKA Circular 6/2026:
| Category | Pension and health | Including the €10 unemployment contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Special (first 5 years) | €150.46 | €160.46 |
| 1 | €250.77 | €260.77 |
| 2 | €300.93 | €310.93 |
| 3 | €360.63 | €370.63 |
| 4 | €433.47 | €443.47 |
| 5 | €519.45 | €529.45 |
| 6 | €675.87 | €685.87 |
Each month's contribution is due by the last working day of the following month. Health professionals pay an extra €2. The category is chosen online at the start of each year (for 2026, by 31 January 2026) and is binding for the whole year. If you do not apply, last year's category continues. More in our guide to EFKA contributions in 2026.
This is a business decision: Category 1 costs about €3,129 a year, Category 3 about €4,448. A higher category means a larger future pension but less cash today. Contributions paid on time are deductible as a business expense in the year they relate to (circular POL.1113/2015).
Income tax under the 2026 scale
From tax year 2026, business profits are added to any salary or pension income and taxed under the new scale introduced by Law 5246/2025, which amended the Greek Income Tax Code (ITC):
| Taxable income | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €10,000 | 9% |
| €10,000.01 to €20,000 | 20% |
| €20,000.01 to €30,000 | 26% |
| €30,000.01 to €40,000 | 34% |
| €40,000.01 to €60,000 | 39% |
| Over €60,000 | 44% |
For income up to €20,000, the rate is 0% for taxpayers up to age 25 and 9% for those aged 26 to 30. Children reduce the second and third brackets. The Article 16 tax credit that employees receive does not apply to business profits. In the first three years, if gross revenue does not exceed €10,000, the first-bracket rate is cut by 50% (ITC Article 29).
The business levy (τέλος επιτηδεύματος) was abolished for individuals from tax year 2024 (Law 5162/2024). Try your own numbers in our freelancer tax calculator or, if you also earn a salary, in the income tax calculator.
Advance tax: the amount that inflates the bill
Along with the year's tax, the tax authority (AADE) assesses an advance payment of 55% toward the following year (ITC Article 69), which is credited in the next return. It is halved to 27.5% only when you declare business income for the first time.
Example under the 2026 scale: net profit of €20,000, over 30, no children. Tax of €2,900 plus advance tax of €1,595, a total of €4,495 on one assessment. This year's bill (2025 income) is payable in up to eight installments, from 31 July 2026 to 26 February 2027. At the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) in September 2026, the government announced a cut in advance tax to 50% from tax year 2027, but it has not yet been legislated.
Imputed income: when you are taxed above your actual profit
Under Law 5073/2023 (ITC Articles 28A to 28D), the net income of a sole proprietor cannot be lower than a minimum amount, capped at €50,000, which adds up:
- the annual minimum wage (14 monthly wages, as in force on 31 December), increased by 10% for each three-year period from year 7. With the minimum wage at €920, the 2026 base is €12,880 (€12,320 for 2025),
- 10% of payroll costs, up to €15,000,
- 5% of turnover above the average for your activity code (KAD).
The rule does not apply in the first three years. In year 4 the amount is reduced by 2/3 and in year 5 by 1/3. It is halved, among other cases, for parents of large families, for disability of 67% or more, for single parents and in small villages or islands. It does not apply with a disability of 80% or more, to mothers in the year of birth and the two following years, or to people paid under service contracts with up to three clients, subject to conditions.
If your actual profit is lower, the amount is reduced for documented objective reasons (for example hospitalization or military service). Otherwise you can request a tax audit, a step that needs careful thought. At TIF 2026 the government announced that compliant professionals will be exempt from the payroll and turnover add-ons from tax year 2026, but this has not yet been legislated.
myDATA, e-invoicing and VAT
All your invoices and receipts are reported to myDATA, AADE's electronic books platform, through a certified provider, a cash register or AADE's free timologio app. Expenses are classified there too, and AADE cross-checks them with your VAT returns and the E3 business schedule. If you accept cards, your POS terminal must be linked to your invoicing system (decision A.1155/2023).
From 1 October 2026, e-invoicing for sales to other businesses becomes mandatory also for those with gross revenue of up to €1 million in 2023, which includes freelancers, with a transition period until 31 December 2026 (decision A.1128/2025). Details in our article on the second period of B2B e-invoicing.
The standard VAT rate is 24%. With single-entry books the VAT return is due by the last working day of the following month, quarterly or, for new businesses, monthly for the first 24 months (decision A.1049/2025). With turnover in Greece of up to €10,000 in both the previous and the current year, you can join the small-business exemption (Article 44 of the VAT Code, the former "Article 39"): you charge no VAT, but you cannot recover VAT on your purchases either. The invoice that crosses the threshold moves you into the normal regime. If your clients are businesses, the exemption usually does not make you cheaper. If they are consumers, it can.
Pricing, cash flow and when an IKE makes sense
Your price has to cover contributions, tax, advance tax and expenses. A rule we use with clients: a separate bank account that receives the EFKA contribution each month plus a fixed share of every payment for tax and advance tax. Expenses count only with a proper invoice issued to your tax number (AFM), and anything over €500 must be paid through a bank payment method.
Once profits reach the 34% to 44% brackets, it is worth comparing with an IKE, the Greek private company: the company pays 22% tax and dividends are taxed at 5%. On the other hand, it needs double-entry books and filings with GEMI, the business registry, and it pays the business levy of €800 or €1,000, while a sole partner who manages the company stays insured with e-EFKA. Run a first comparison in our corporate tax calculator, then we can review it with real figures as part of our tax advisory work.
What your accountant does, month by month
- Every month: reconciling income and expenses with myDATA, classifications, checking the EFKA payment.
- Every month or quarter: the VAT return and, if you are exempt, tracking the €10,000 threshold.
- January: reviewing your insurance category.
- Spring and summer: the E3 and E1 returns, checking imputed income and reductions, planning installments.
- Autumn: forecasting profit and tax, decisions on expenses and legal form.
This is what our accounting service for freelancers covers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I stay in the special EFKA category after five years?
No. The special category covers the first five years of insurance. After that you choose one of the six categories, the lowest being Category 1.
Does imputed income apply if my revenue is very low?
Not in the first three years. After that, the minimum applies even with low turnover, unless an exemption, a reduction or an objective reason applies. Otherwise the remaining route is a tax audit.
Are the TIF 2026 measures already in force?
Not yet. They have been announced but still need legislation. Until then, the current rules apply.
Sources
- e-EFKA, Circular 6/2026
- Law 5246/2025 (Government Gazette A 198/2025)
- ITC Article 28A (Law 5073/2023)
- AADE, income tax questions and answers handbook (May 2026)
- AADE, Decision A.1128/2025
- AADE, guide to the small-business VAT scheme (2026)
Apostolou & Partners has supported freelancers in Thessaloniki since 1991: bookkeeping, VAT, myDATA, e-EFKA and, above all, decisions on pricing, cash flow and legal form. Contact us to look at your case together.