Greece: Company Types, Tax and Compliance

Doing Business in Greece

Greece offers international entrepreneurs an attractive entry point: EU + maritime/shipping tonnage tax regime. The Greek IKE (ιδιωτική κεφαλαιουχική εταιρεία) is the dominant corporate form for SMEs, holdings, and trading entities, and we hold a stock of pre-formed, never-traded IKEs ready for immediate ownership transfer through the Γενικό Εμπορικό Μητρώο (GEMI).

ShelfCompanies24 has been arranging company formation and the transfer of pre-registered Greek entities since 1995. We work with a network of Greek corporate-service providers, accountants, and banks to deliver a consolidated, start-to-finish service, whether you need your Greece company ready in 48 hours or a brand-new one built from scratch in 7 days.

Why Greece for Your Business

• EU single-market passport, your Greek IKE can trade VAT-free across all 27 EU member states using its EU VAT number.
• EU + maritime/shipping tonnage tax regime, the structural reason serious operators choose Greece over neighbouring jurisdictions.
• Predictable corporate law, Γενικό Εμπορικό Μητρώο (GEMI) provides public, searchable filings; ownership transfers are documented and binding.
• 2026 corporate tax: 22%, see the detailed tax breakdown below.
• Pre-formed IKE stock, clean GEMI-registered companies with no trading history, ready for a 48 hours ownership transfer.
• Remote-friendly, most Greece corporate procedures can be completed without travel; we handle apostille, sworn translation, and digital signature.
• Corporate banking, introductions to local and international banks suitable for a Greek IKE, without the multi-month onboarding most foreign owners face when they apply alone.
• Single point of contact, your dedicated consultant manages incorporation, banking, accounting, and ongoing compliance for the whole life of the company.

Our Core Services in Greece

Greece Company Types at a Glance

• IKE (ιδιωτική κεφαλαιουχική εταιρεία), the modern private capital company introduced by Law 4072/2012. Minimum capital of one euro, one member or more of any nationality, at least one διαχειριστής, and share transfers by private agreement with no notarial deed.
• EPE (εταιρεία περιορισμένης ευθύνης), the older limited liability form. Still available, largely displaced by the IKE, and its share transfers still need a notarial deed.
• AE (ανώνυμη εταιρεία), the joint stock form used by listed, regulated and capital raising groups, governed by a board of directors.
• Υποκατάστημα, a branch of a foreign company rather than a separate Greek legal entity.

Most Greece clients choose the IKE (ιδιωτική κεφαλαιουχική εταιρεία) for the combination of limited liability, ownership flexibility, and predictable GEMI treatment.

Greece Corporate Taxation 2026

The 2026 headline corporate tax position in Greece is 22%.

22% CIT; IKE minimum; GEMI commercial portal; tonnage-tax regime for shipping fleets.

VAT, withholding-tax, and treaty-network specifics are jurisdiction-dependent and best discussed in a free first call, your consultant will map your operational profile to the correct Greek tax treatment before you commit to a structure.

Compliance and Reporting Obligations

• Annual financial statements, prepared under Greek GAAP and filed with the GEMI on a calendar-year or financial-year basis.
• Beneficial ownership transparency, most modern jurisdictions, including Greece, require beneficial-owner registration alongside the GEMI entity record.
• Tax registration, GEMI entry typically auto-registers the company with the Greece tax authority; VAT/sales-tax registration is separate where turnover thresholds apply.
• Director and shareholder filings, changes to GEMI must be filed within statutory deadlines; we manage these end-to-end on retainer.
• DAC6 / DAC7 / Pillar Two, multinational groups face EU-mandated reporting obligations on aggressive cross-border arrangements and digital platform income.
• Audit thresholds, small IKEs usually file abbreviated accounts; medium-sized and large entities meet local audit requirements (typically based on balance-sheet, turnover, and headcount thresholds).

Corporate Banking for Your Greek Company

A Greek corporate bank account is critical to operating the company, and one of the practical bottlenecks foreign owners hit when they apply directly. Our consultant introduces you to the right banking partner for your profile (high-volume international transfers, EUR/USD/GBP multi-currency, e-commerce processing, custodial, or simple operating-account-only).

A pre-formed Greek IKE with clean GEMI entry typically passes bank KYC more smoothly than a newly formed entity, which is why operators in a hurry to begin trading specifically request a shelf company.

Cross-Jurisdiction Comparisons

Operators looking at Greece often also evaluate similar jurisdictions:

• Cyprus shelf companies, EU + 15% CIT, IP Box 80% deduction.
• Bulgaria company formation, Flat 10% CIT, EU member.

Why Choose ShelfCompanies24 for Greece

• 30 years of experience, operating since 1995 across Greece and 55 other jurisdictions.
• Licensed corporate-service provider with a dedicated Greek desk.
• Pre-formed IKE stock, clean GEMI-registered entities ready for immediate transfer.
• Bundled service: formation, GEMI filings, virtual office and a bank introduction.
• Remote-only, most clients never travel to Greece; we handle apostille, courier, and sworn translation.
• Post-formation support, accounting, VAT/tax filings, payroll, beneficial ownership filings where the jurisdiction requires them.

How to Register a Company in Greece

Registering a Greek company runs through ΓΕΜΗ, the General Commercial Registry, and its one-stop-shop portal. You settle the legal form, almost always the IKE, agree the έδρα and the business activity in KAD codes, obtain a Greek ΑΦΜ for every foreign member and διαχειριστής, then sign the καταστατικό and file it with ΓΕΜΗ. Registration gives the company its own ΑΦΜ, the beneficial owners are filed in the UBO register held at GEMI, and the accountant and the bank account follow. On this route a new IKE is ready in 7 days. A pre-formed IKE from our stock transfers in 48 hours and can sign contracts from day one.

Do the directors or shareholders have to be resident in Greece?

Broadly correct. Greek company law sets no residency or nationality test for the partners or the administrator of an IKE, and a company can be wholly foreign owned and managed from abroad. The administrative catch is tax registration: the company and each partner and administrator need a Greek tax number, and a non-resident usually obtains one through a Greek tax representative. A residence permit only matters if someone intends to live and work in Greece.

Frequently Asked Questions about Greek Companies

How quickly can I start trading with a Greek company?

With a pre-formed Greek IKE the share transfer is documented and the GEMI update filed within 48 hours; the register amendment completes in 5 to 10 working days; you can sign contracts in the company’s name from day one. A newly formed IKE takes 7 days end-to-end because the Γενικό Εμπορικό Μητρώο and the tax authority each add their own processing time.

What is an IKE company in Greece?

The IKE, ιδιωτική κεφαλαιουχική εταιρεία or private capital company, is the modern Greek limited liability form introduced by Law 4072/2012 and now the default for SMEs, holdings and trading entities. It takes one member or more of any nationality, needs at least one διαχειριστής with no Greek residency requirement, carries a minimum capital of one euro, and its shares transfer by private agreement without a notarial deed. The older EPE has largely been displaced, while the AE is the joint stock form for listed and regulated groups.

How do I open a company in Greece?

You either register a new company or take over a pre-formed one. A new IKE needs a Greek ΑΦΜ for each foreign member and διαχειριστής, a καταστατικό, an έδρα, the business activity in KAD codes and its capital, all filed with ΓΕΜΗ through the one-stop-shop portal, which then issues the company’s own ΑΦΜ. A pre-formed IKE already holds every one of those, so the work is the share transfer, the change of διαχειριστής and the ΓΕΜΗ update.

What taxes will my Greek company pay in 2026?

The 2026 headline rate in Greece is 22%. 22% CIT; IKE minimum; GEMI commercial portal; tonnage-tax regime for shipping fleets. VAT/sales-tax, withholding-tax on dividends, and treaty-network impact depend on your operating profile, a free first call with our consultant maps your business model to the correct Greek tax treatment.

How do I start a business in Greece as a foreigner?

Greek company law puts no residency, citizenship or work permit condition on the members or the διαχειριστής of an IKE, so a foreign founder can own and manage the company outright. The practical starting point is a Greek ΑΦΜ, the tax identification number, which we obtain through a Greek consulate or through our Athens lawyer. The καταστατικό is then signed remotely and filed with ΓΕΜΗ. Living in Greece is a separate immigration question and is not needed to own or direct the company.

Is a Greek shelf company really ‘clean’?

All ShelfCompanies24 shelf entities in Greece were incorporated solely to be held in reserve. They have never traded, never opened a customer-facing bank account, never invoiced a third party, and never accumulated tax losses, so the GEMI record shows pure dormancy. This avoids the loss-utilisation and beneficial-owner-disclosure complications that a real ex-trading company would carry.

Should I buy a shelf IKE or form a new one in Greece?

Choose a shelf IKE when you need to be trading immediately, when banking onboarding speed matters, or when a counterparty insists on dealing with an established legal entity. Choose new formation when you want to design the constitution, share classes, or registered name from scratch and you can wait 7 days for the GEMI entry. Both options come with the same service, banking introduction, and post-formation support.

What is an off the shelf company in Greece?

An off the shelf company, έτοιμη εταιρεία in Greek, is an IKE that was registered with ΓΕΜΗ in advance and held dormant so it can be handed over complete. It carries its own ΑΦΜ, its paid-up capital and a clean ΑΑΔΕ record, and it has never invoiced, never employed anyone and never filed anything but nil returns. Buying one is a share transfer and a ΓΕΜΗ amendment rather than a formation, which is why it is quicker.