VAT on books
VAT on books in Greece
Greece puts books in its lowest regular VAT band, 6%. Printed books and their audio editions have long been there. Since 2021, ebooks and electronic audiobooks are too. The standard rate is 24%.
General guidance, checked against official sources. It is not tax advice. Rates and rules change, and your own situation matters. Check with Greece's Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) or an accountant before you decide.
Checked by Dario Griffo, founder of Lanternbee, on .
The rates
| What you sell | Rate | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printed books | 6% | Reduced rate | VAT Code, Annex III A, item 40 |
| EbooksSince law 4818/2021. Before that, 24%. | 6% | Reduced rate | VAT Code, Annex III B, item 11 |
| AudiobooksOn physical media or supplied electronically. | 6% | Reduced rate | VAT Code, Annex III A item 40 and B item 11 |
| Most other goods and services | 24% | Standard rate | Ministry of Finance, VAT Code consolidation (2026) |
What to know about Greece
- Greek law normally keeps reduced rates away from electronically supplied services. Books are one of the few exceptions, through a separate entry for electronic visual and audio books added in 2021. VAT Code consolidation
- The 6% rate covers printed books, children's books, and their audio or visual editions on CDs and other media, as well as electronic editions. VAT Code consolidation
- Electronic publications that are wholly or mainly advertising, video or music are left out and pay 24%. VAT Code consolidation
Selling to readers in Greece: examples
You are the seller. Your own Stripe account takes the payment, and Stripe Tax adds the rate for Greece at checkout once you add your registration in Stripe. These examples use prices before tax.
- An ebook priced at €10.00 costs a reader in Greece €10.60. €0.60 of that is the 6% VAT on ebooks in Greece, which you pay over.
- A paperback priced at €20.00 and posted to Greece from another EU country takes the 6% rate for printed books in Greece once your sales to other EU countries pass €10,000 a year: €1.20 of VAT.
- If you live in Greece yourself, sales to readers in Greece always take the rates above, and they go on your usual VAT return in Greece, not the One-Stop Shop.
How EU VAT works for authors: the reader’s country, the €10,000 threshold and the One-Stop Shop, in one guide.
Questions authors ask about Greece
What VAT do Greek readers pay on ebooks?
6%, the same as printed books, since the 2021 change. Before that, ebooks paid the 24% standard rate.
Are audiobooks at 6% in Greece?
Yes. Audio editions of books get 6% on CDs and other media, and electronic audio books get 6% too.
Do the Greek islands have lower rates for books?
Some Aegean islands have had lower VAT rates in the past. We have not checked island rates for books here, so look them up if you sell a lot there.