In 2025, Greeks will have spent the first 175 days of the year working solely to cover their tax and social security obligations, according to new data from the Center for Liberal Studies (KEFiM), a Greek think tank. This symbolic milestone - known as Tax Freedom Day - falls on June 25 this year, marking the point at which citizens stop working for the state and begin, at least in theory, earning for themselves.
This is the earliest Greece has reached Tax Freedom Day since 2011, reflecting a noticeable decline in the country’s overall tax burden. In 2024, it took 181 days to meet the same obligations - meaning Greeks are effectively working six fewer days for the state in 2025. The gradual improvement over the last six years, from 181 days in 2019 to 175 today, places Greece among the top four EU countries in terms of reducing the number of days needed to cover taxes. Yet despite this progress, Greece still ranks 11th among the 27 EU member states for highest tax burden, although it is now in line with the European average.
Beyond the headline figures, the report highlights an important shift in Greece’s tax structure. In 2025, the ratio of indirect taxes to direct taxes is expected to decline to 1.5 to 1 - a notable improvement from 2023, when indirect taxes (particularly VAT) were more than twice the amount of direct taxes. VAT remains the largest source of revenue among indirect taxes, accounting for 70.2% in 2024, up from 68.8% the year before.
However, this apparent tax relief is tempered by the fact that the Greek government continues to collect more than it initially budgets. Tax revenues in 2024 are now projected to reach €36.4 billion from goods and services, compared to an original estimate of €35.1 billion -a 3.5% increase. Income tax revenues also exceeded projections by more than €2.6 billion, with the largest overrun coming from corporate taxes, which rose by 17.3% above expectations.
Nikos Rompapas, KEFiM’s General Director, acknowledged that the lower tax burden is a welcome development for Greek households and businesses. Yet he also stressed that the consistent overperformance of tax revenues suggests there is room for deeper tax cuts - reductions that could support stronger economic growth in the long term.
