“Lock it”! These five categories will get a special bonus at Christmas

In December 2024, aid amounting to 243 million euros will be paid to approximately 1.9 million beneficiaries, including:

(a) pensioners with a personal difference, who will receive an aid ranging from 100 to 200 euros, depending on the amount of their pension and for pensions up to 1,600 euros,

(b) OPEKA child benefit beneficiaries, who will receive an additional monthly installment,

(c) beneficiaries of OPECA disability allowance and e-EFKA disability allowance, who will be reinforced with 200 euros,

(d) uninsured senior citizens, who will receive an aid of 200 euros and

(e) beneficiaries of Minimum Guaranteed Income, for whom payment of an increased monthly installment of 50% is foreseen.

The measures that will be implemented in 2025 with an impact on the level of state revenues and expenditures are – according to the draft of next year’s Budget – the following:

Reductions in insurance and tax burdens

1. Reduction from 1.1.2025 by one percentage point of the insurance contributions. In particular, this reduction is broken down into a reduction of 0.5% in employee contributions and 0.5% in employer contributions in the Health sector, with the annual net cost amounting to 440 million euros.
2. Abolition from 1.1.2025 of the annual business fee of 325 euros for freelancers, at a cost of 125 million euros.
3. Permanentization of the return of the EFFK on agricultural oil with a new system, which is based on actual consumption, at a cost of 100 million euros.
4. Increase from 2025 of the reduction rate of ENFIA from 10% to 20% for residences of natural persons insured for natural disasters with a taxable value of up to 500,000 euros. Homes with a taxable value of more than 500,000 euros continue to have a 10% discount, as was the case from 1.1.2024, without, however, being compensated in the event of a natural disaster after 1.6.2025.
5. Exemption for three years from income tax on rental income from properties up to 120 square meters, which will be let out on a long-term lease, while they have been vacant or on a short-term lease for at least three years. The estimated cost for 2025 amounts to 3 million euros.
6. Extension for one more year (until the end of 2025) of the suspension of VAT on new buildings, with the aim of increasing the number of homes available, with an annual cost of 18 million euros.
7. Independent taxation of NHS doctors on-call. From 1.1.2025, the independent taxation of the on-call compensation of the NHS doctors with a rate of 22%, at a cost of 40 million euros, will be established.
8. Abolition of fixed telephony fee of 5% for optical fiber connections ≥100 mbps from 1.1.2025. The cost of the measure amounts to 24 million euros.
9. Exemption from the 15% premium tax on health policies for children up to 18 years of age. The cost amounts to 17 million euros.
10. Tax exemption of voluntary benefits in favor of new parents, at a cost of 6 million euros.
11. Abolition of stamp duty. From 1.12.2024, the stamp duty is abolished and a digital transaction fee is established for a specific number of transactions. The main transactions for which the fee is abolished relate to contractual interest on business loans, insurance transactions, utility loans, guaranteed credits from banks in favor of importers, formation and capital increase of non-profit legal entities, various licenses to exercise a profession or start an activity, use of facilities for industrial purposes , tourist office operating licenses and many other transactions. The fiscal cost is estimated at 32 million euros per year.

Measures to increase tax revenues

12. Increase from 1.1.2025 of the climate crisis resilience fee for tourist accommodation. The increase ranges from 0.5 euros to 5 euros, depending on the category of hotels and accommodations, during the months from April to October. In addition, an extension of one month (March) of the application period of the low fee is foreseen. The annual increase in revenue from these changes is estimated at 203 million euros.
13. Imposition of cruise tax from 2025, with provision for additional revenue of €52 million.

Measures to increase public spending

14. Increase of pensions based on the rate of change of inflation and GDP, at a cost of 401 million euros.
15. Increases in basic salaries for all civil servants and civil servants. From April 2025, a horizontal increase will be paid to the basic salaries of all civil servants and functionaries, so that the entry salary in the State does not fall short of the level of the minimum wage in the private sector. The gross cost of this new intervention is initially estimated at approximately 143 million euros.
16. Increase from 1.1.2025 of the compensation for the night employment of uniformed personnel (Hellenic Police – EL.AS., Fire Brigade – P.S., Coast Guard – Hellenic Coast Guard – L.S.-EL.AKT., Armed Forces) , at a cost of 25 million euros.
17. Doubling the maximum subsidy of the “Renovate – Rent” program from the amount of 4,000 euros to the amount of 8,000 euros, which will cover 60% against 40% of the costs. The program has a budget of 50 million euros, namely 25 million euros for 2024 and 25 million euros for 2025.
18. Increase of the housing allowance, as part of the general reform of allowances, from the amount of 70 euros to the amount of 125 euros and to the amount of 75 euros, depending on the income scale, which is increased by 30% for each child, while at the same time introducing and targeted asset criteria.

Permanent fiscal interventions 2024 – 2025 (in millions of euros)
a/a	Description	2024	2025
A	Interventions in the revenue part of the General Government (A.1. + A.2.)	-126	-628
A.1.	Interventions to reduce the revenues of the General Government	-355	-1.112
1	Increase of the tax exemption by 1,000 euros for families with children from 2024	-135	-135
2	2024 ENFIA reduction by 10% for houses insured for natural disasters and 2025 ENFIA reduction by 20% for houses insured for natural disasters with a taxable value of up to 500,000 euros	-7	-18
3	Reduction by one percentage point of insurance contributions from January 2025	0	-440
4	Abolition of self-employment tax from 2025, following a 50% reduction in 2024	-113	-238
5	Permanentization of the return of the EFK to agricultural oil with a new system from 2025	-82	-100
6	Independent taxation of NHS doctors on call	0	-40
7	Reduction of stamp duties on a range of transactions (interest on corporate loans, building permits, utility loans, marriages, insurance policies, etc.)	0	-32
8	Incentives for innovation, mergers and acquisitions	0	-41
9	Extension of the VAT exemption for new buildings also in the year 2025	-18	-18
10	Removal of fixed telephony fee (5%) for fiber optic connections (≥100 mbps)	0	-24
11	Exemption from insurance premium tax (15%) on health policies for children up to 18 years of age	0	-17
12	Tax exemption of voluntary business benefits for new parents	0	-6
13	Income tax exemption for vacant or short-let properties to be let on a long-term lease	0	-3
A.2.	Interventions to increase the revenues of the General Government	229	484
1	Introduction of VAT on short-term rentals of legal entities and natural persons who have more than two rented apartments from 2024	27	27
2	Introduction (in 2024) and reform (in 2025) of the Climate Resilience Levy to replace the Residence Tax	202	405
3	Introduction of cruise fee from 2025	0	52
B	Interventions in the General Government expenditure section	-1.714	-2.316
1	Public sector wage reform from 2024 (gross cost)	-1.067	-1.067
2	Increase in pensions based on the rate of change of GDP and inflation	-424	-825
3	Horizontal public sector wage increase from April 2025 so that the entry wage does not fall below the minimum wage level (gross cost)	0	-143
4	Increase in on-call compensation of NHS doctors by 20% from January 2024	-45	-45
5	Incentive to attract doctors to troubled and barren areas	-5	-16
6	20% increase in night work compensation for enlisted men from January 2025	0	-25
7	Increase in special allowance for Navy ship crews on mission and Armed Forces personnel on special missions	-15	-15
8	Increase of the birth allowance from 2,000 euros to 2,400 to 3,500 euros depending on the number of children (implemented in 2024 with retroactive effect for births in 2023)	-90	-45
9	Extending maternity pay to nine months for self-employed workers and farmers from 2024	-43	-43
10	Increase of the student housing allowance for regional universities (from 1,500 euros to 2,000 euros per year and to 2,500 euros in case of cohabitation)	0	-15
11	“Renovate – Rent” program (with increased compensation to 60% of costs)	-25	-25
12	Allocation of revenue from the cruise fee for infrastructure projects of the OTAs, the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy and the Ministry of Tourism	0	-52
Total Financial Cost of the Interventions (A+B)		-1.840	-2.944
Note: A positive sign (+) indicates an increase in income or a decrease in expenditure and a negative sign (-) indicates a decrease in income or an increase in expenditure. The above does not include projects and investments covered by the Public Investment Budget, as well as the extraordinary aid during the month of December 2024, amounting to 243 million euros, to pensioners with personal differences, beneficiaries of the child benefit, disability benefits, the Guaranteed Minimum Income and uninsured seniors.

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