The “taxman cometh” to Greece’s surging short-term lease sector (the Airbnb phenomenon) as of Jan. 1, 2024, with an overnight stay fee tacked on to some 170,000 listed properties around the popular holiday destination.
Approximately 7,440 property owners will also have to add VAT to their fees, while also keeping accounts similar to those kept by small businesses.
The additional fees, taxes and higher fines for non-compliance are included in a recent tax bill tabled by the conservative government and ratified recently by a majority in Parliament.
The overnight stay fee is similar to one that has long applied to hotels in the country.
For properties leased through online platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com, the fee will correspond to 0.5 percent of the sum charged for a specific lease, with the revenue funneled to the local government entity in which the property is located.
Anyone renting residential properties in a short-term manner will have to pay the fees on an online platform set up by the tax bureau.
