In 2025, the tax refund to taxpayers exceeded all records. Specifically, it was transferred to the bank accounts of more than 148,000 taxpayers amounting to €852.6 million. In fact, in 2025 the amount of tax refunds was increased by €164.6 million. compared to 2024, which was €688 million. In 2023, taxes refunded amounted to €626.3 million.
The tax refunds concern VAT, income tax, as well as an extraordinary contribution for interest defense, for people with a gross income of €12,000.
It is noted that the rapid increase in tax refunds is due to the clearance of overdue cases by the Tax Department, the operation of the Tax For All (TFA), but also the change in the European directive.
With the implementation of the unified computerized system, the procedures for examining VAT refund applications have been accelerated.
At the same time, in recent years, with the amendment of the legislation, the tax refund has been institutionalized only in cases where there is compliance with all types of tax and with all the obligations that arise, such as registration, submission of returns and payment of tax. With the change in the procedure, the funds for tax refunds are included in the Department's revenue budget, with the result that there are no longer any restrictions on the timely refund of VAT.
According to the Tax Department, the harmonized move of including the refund funds as positive figures in the Revenue Budget resulted in the absence of practical restrictions that prevent the timely refund, at least of VAT, to taxable persons.
At €775 million - VAT refunds
According to data from the Tax Department, the actual VAT refunds for 2025 amounted to €775 million, while in 2024 €579.9 million had been refunded. It is noted that the amounts of the refunds also include offsets. Specifically, last year transfers were made to bank accounts or checks amounting to €702.8 million were sent.
Also, an amount of €11.1 million concerned offsets with other government departments and €40.7 million offsets with direct taxes. In addition, an amount of €19.4 million concerned transfers between taxpayers and VAT, fines of €345 were imposed, while remittances of €779,100 were made abroad.
Lower income tax refunds
In terms of income tax refunds, in 2025 they amounted to €77.5 million. and were reduced compared to the previous year, when they had reached €108 million. In 2024, taxes were refunded to 296,669 taxpayers. Specifically, the amount of €77.5 million was refunded to 147,750 taxpayers. Of these, 9,699 were self-employed and managers, who received €3.8 million, 132,585 were employees and pensioners, who received €37 million, and 5,466 were legal entities, who received a tax refund of €36.6 million.
According to the Tax Department, the processing of backlog cases continues to play a crucial role in the progress of tax clearance, both in terms of the number of taxes and the amount of income tax refunds. At the same time, he emphasizes that "having cleared most of the declarations of individuals and companies in previous years, the clearance of the remaining most recent tax years continues".
And the contribution for defense
Finally, another 356 taxpayers received a refund of an extraordinary contribution for defense from interest, totalling €39.300. The refund of the special contribution for the defense against interest concerns natural persons. In 2025, a total of 26,018 defense taxes were imposed. In 2024, 1,358 taxpayers were refunded an extraordinary defense contribution of €189,800.
