Greece has extended a VAT penalty waiver for farmers moving to the standard regime in 2026, allowing late filings and payments for early-year returns until 29 May 2026 without sanctions, subject to conditions set out in Circular E.2020/2026.
Greece’s Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has introduced a penalty waiver for farmers required to move from the special agricultural flat-rate VAT scheme to the standard VAT regime for the 2026 tax year, following the issuance of Circular E.2020/2026 on 30 April 2026.
The measure applies to farmers whose annual subsidy receipts exceeded EUR 5,000 in 2025, triggering mandatory registration under the normal VAT regime from 1 January 2026. Eligibility for the waiver is conditional on submission of the declaration of change by 30 April 2026.
Under the VAT Code framework introduced in 2024, farmers below the EUR 5,000 subsidy threshold remain exempt from charging, accounting for and remitting VAT. Exceeding this limit requires a transition to the standard VAT scheme in the following tax year.
Circular E.2020/2026 allows affected taxpayers to submit key VAT-related filings without penalties until 29 May 2026. These include the inventory declaration upon transition, monthly VAT returns for January, February and March 2026 for those subject to monthly reporting, and the quarterly VAT return for the first quarter of 2026 for quarterly filers. Recapitulative statements of intra-Community transactions for the same periods are also covered where applicable.
The same deadline applies for the payment of any VAT due arising from these returns, with no interest or penalties imposed if settlement is completed by 29 May 2026.
The latest circular extends and expands relief initially provided under Circular E.2014/2026, which had set a 30 April 2026 deadline for submitting the change-of-status declaration and related filings for the first two months of 2026. The new guidance extends the penalty-free period by one month and includes March filings and the first-quarter return within its scope.
The waiver does not apply to farmers required to transition to the standard VAT regime due to exceeding the EUR 15,000 threshold from the supply of agricultural products or services in 2025.
