# Tax advice



## Minx0r (Jun 21, 2011)

Hi all!

I wonder if anyone can help?

I'm living in Greece but still work for a uk company via the Internet
So am paid in £ into my uk bank account and take out cash here in Greece.

Can anyone tell me where I stand with Greek taxes, e.g can the Greek tax office claim income tax or anything like that from me? 

I asked the consulate but all they sent me was a link to taxes for Greek salaries.

Hope someone can help.


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## Minx0r (Jun 21, 2011)

* please note: I am actually living in Varkiza, Athens not in Cyprus as my profile suggests.


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## Jolly Roger (Dec 4, 2011)

Presumably you are registered with HMRC in the UK for income tax already. You can opt into paying tax in the country of residency, but why bother. Much better to pay into a system that would be more understandable to an English speaker.


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## XxSMIL3xX (Aug 22, 2012)

you have to pay tax only to one country.its your choice which one.
i would prefer uk.


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## The Grocer (May 30, 2010)

If you LIVE in Greece under the 183 day rule you will be required to pay taxes to GREECE based on your worldly income.


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## XxSMIL3xX (Aug 22, 2012)

The Grocer said:


> If you LIVE in Greece under the 183 day rule you will be required to pay taxes to GREECE based on your worldly income.



why should he do that?
for your income you have to pay tax only once.you can not pay tax twice.

i have some buy to lets in U.K and i am paying taxes in U.K no matter that i am living in greece and i am greek.

there is a european law which says that you have to pay your taxes in one country only.you must not double pay.

the untaxed amount in U.K is 9.500 euros and in greece is 5.000 or 4.000.

also in greece no one knows what the government will decide what you have to pay next time.
avoid greeek taxes.talk with a logistic to inform you.


also here in greece no one knows if you live here 100 or 200 or 300 days per year.
its up to you...

i am greek,i am living here 365 days per year ,i have an income more than 20.000 euros per year in U.K and i am paying my taxes there.and i have no problem.thats how it is.its legally.

as a greek i am also fill the greek tax form but i am showing 0 income and i am not paying anything.and i ll continue to doing this.

i prefer to take an airplane to visit london or manchester to go in a hospital rather to visit one here.
finally next month i ll try to relocate in thailand.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

XxSMIL3xX said:


> why should he do that?
> for your income you have to pay tax only once.you can not pay tax twice.
> 
> i have some buy to lets in U.K and i am paying taxes in U.K no matter that i am living in greece and i am greek.
> ...


he (& you ) needs to DECLARE earnings//income from anywhere in the world - any tax already paid will be offset against tax obligations to Greece


if you live in Greece - ie you aren't resident in the UK you are committing fraud by flying to the UK to use the NHS - the UK NHS is only for RESIDENTS of the UK


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## The Grocer (May 30, 2010)

The legal situation is simple......you pay taxes in the country of residence based on the 183 day rule. The UK has some very complex laws on domicile, but the 183 day rule is clear in EU terms.
If you are taxed in another EU country also, you can claim back through the double taxation treaty terms ..
see Double taxation Conventions - European commission

for more details.....

*XxSMIL3xX*
I would keep quiet about what you are doing.........the tax man may be looking !!!!!
I know for a fact UK tax officials have scanned internet for property lets abroad owned by UK residents and not being declared.....


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## XxSMIL3xX (Aug 22, 2012)

my actuary is working in greek excise.i trust him.


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## XxSMIL3xX (Aug 22, 2012)

xabiachica said:


> he (& you ) needs to DECLARE earnings//income from anywhere in the world - any tax already paid will be offset against tax obligations to Greece
> 
> 
> if you live in Greece - ie you aren't resident in the UK you are committing fraud by flying to the UK to use the NHS - the UK NHS is only for RESIDENTS of the UK




i am visiting uk lots of times for business and it happened to visited uk hospitals cause of illness several times.just with my greek id not either my passport they took me in and everything was free.

in the other hand i am paying taxes in uk and several other expenses as bookkeeper ,maintenance,ground rent and management.

so annually i am paying quit a lot .its fair for me to be able to visit a uk hospital.
and as i said uk hospitals treated me very well in the past.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

XxSMIL3xX said:


> i am visiting uk lots of times for business and it happened to visited uk hospitals cause of illness several times.just with my greek id not either my passport they took me in and everything was free.
> 
> in the other hand i am paying taxes in uk and several other expenses as bookkeeper ,maintenance,ground rent and management.
> 
> ...




No it's not fair.. I am British, I live in and work in Egypt.. I pay National Insurance to the UK.. but I cannot go to a doctor there because I am not resident.. 


Expenses are just that... expenses.. 

Btw visiting a doctor or hospital in the UK is not free... you might not have paid to visit it but the British taxpayer has with their NI payments


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## XxSMIL3xX (Aug 22, 2012)

MaidenScotland said:


> No it's not fair.. I am British, I live in and work in Egypt.. I pay National Insurance to the UK.. but I cannot go to a doctor there because I am not resident..
> 
> 
> Expenses are just that... expenses..
> ...




why you are saying the british taxpayers and not saying just the taxpayers.

i am paying atleast 3.000 sterlines per year taxes.so i am paying too for the hospitals.

if you want me not to be able to visit the hospital do not tax me with the 20%.
people from spain,greece and italy saved your house price bubble and economy by giving you cash and we continue paying taxes and giving jobs and you do not want us to visiting your hospitals for which we are paying.


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## XxSMIL3xX (Aug 22, 2012)

finally as i told before severals times happened to got ill in the time i was in uk and i visited some hospitals and they did accept me there.

they asked me for my passport or my id ,i gave them my id and they accepted me as a european resident.

if it was illegal they wouldnt accept me and that happened several times.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

XxSMIL3xX said:


> finally as i told before severals times happened to got ill in the time i was in uk and i visited some hospitals and they did accept me there.
> 
> they asked me for my passport or my id ,i gave them my id and they accepted me as a european resident.
> 
> if it was illegal they wouldnt accept me and that happened several times.


'happening to get ill' is different to


> take an airplane to visit london or manchester to go in a hospital rather to visit one here.



do you have an EHIC card - if so, then of course they treated you

if not, you were lucky

my experience is very different - this is my post from another thread



xabiachica said:


> .........................my late husband (British but resident in Spain) didn't have an EHIC/TSE ............................. - all his travelling was to the US so he had to have private insurance
> 
> he was taken ill on a plane landing at Gatwick - he was supposed to be transferring to another onward flight home to Spain - they took him to hospital where he was operated on but he died just over 24 hrs later
> 
> ...


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## Minx0r (Jun 21, 2011)

*Tax advice - the answer*

Morning all!

After meetings with tax accountants in Greece, various websites and numerous calls i have finally, 2 years later, got the answer!

So for anyone out there like me that is living or thinking to live in Greece but will be taking a salary and paying income tax via a company which is not in Greece (therefore not taking an income from Greece) here is what you do:

1. Google search 'AGORA.mfa.gr' and go to Offices of Economic and Commercial Affairs, Offices by country. (apologies, as i am a new member i cannot post links.) 
and locate the E.C.A Office in the country your employment is with. Give them a call to ask if Greece has a Bilateral Double Taxation Agreement with them. 

2. If they do have a an agreement you must register your income tax at your local tax office each year as all Greek residents must, however you will also ask for a Double Taxation form to submit with it. 

If there is a Bilateral Agreement in place you will not be taxed on your income from outside of Greece. Bear in mind you will still be taxed on all purchases/property/assets and Income obtained within Greece in the normal way. But your income from outside of Greece will not be taxed again by Greece as long as you can prove you are paying income tax to the other country. 

So relieved to finally understand this and I hope its useful to you guys too. 

Miriam


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## concertina (Oct 18, 2012)

MaidenScotland said:


> No it's not fair.. I am British, I live in and work in Egypt.. I pay National Insurance to the UK.. but I cannot go to a doctor there because I am not resident..
> 
> 
> Expenses are just that... expenses..
> ...


I agree with Maiden Scotland,my brother and his lady who are Aussi citizens and reside there took a holiday in the UK recently,she was suddenly ill and taken by ambulance to hospital,was treated and kept in for about 5 days,no money was asked for neither details of insurance cover,and they were very swanky about it,it was in Devon,I think some areas are more lenient,they had private cover so why should the British people pay for their treatment.I cannot have treatment in the Uk if I go there and Im British because I reside in Greece,so why do some people get and others dont especially when they have the financial means to pay either from their pockets or private cover.I have recently read of several British women who had been living in Greece,split with husbands before the crisis here,managed as single mothers with the kids whilst they had work,in came Troika....no money,no job,in desperation went back to UK as they are British subjects and were treated like scum,forced to prove ....are you really here to stay or just visiting and want benefits?Local MPs got involved in the end to save them from destitution,we dont even have the Poor House to turn to anymore.


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## 446905 (Mar 6, 2014)

Minx0r said:


> Morning all!
> 
> After meetings with tax accountants in Greece, various websites and numerous calls i have finally, 2 years later, got the answer!
> 
> ...


Hi Miriam (sorry new member, can't send direct messages)

Fantastic that you posted an update as your situation is exactly the same as mine! 

I have a follow on question about social security. Do you pay social security within Greece or the UK (and have a E101 form to support this?) If you have the E101 form does it matter to HMRC that you live full time in Greece?

Thanks
Felicity


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## Moodycow (Mar 5, 2014)

Minx0r said:


> Morning all!
> 
> After meetings with tax accountants in Greece, various websites and numerous calls i have finally, 2 years later, got the answer!
> 
> ...


Hi Miriam 

I too am a new member and cannot send you a message. Do you live full time in greece? Have yo actually successfully filed a tax return in greece and claimed the double taxation agreement?

I posted yesterday about my company trying to work out how to allow me to move to greece for a year.

Today they say they can change my contract to say working from home and tax me as normal via PAYE then leave it up to me to live where I please and declare to the relevant tax authority.

I will have a tax number and rental property in greece so will file a tax return. Do I have to pay a certain amount into a greek bank account from my salary or can I retain my uk account? I read something about pink and yellow slips....

But I have also read that living over 183 days in greece makes you resident there and so all tax due to greece. Do you have greek residence or uk for tax purposes? 

Apologies for the mass of questions but I a month off leaving for greece and am totally confused....and determined to do everything correctly.

Thanks a lot


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