Greece treats employee gifts very differently depending on whether they're cash or in kind, and separately again if they're the statutory Christmas or Easter bonus. Mixing these up is the easiest way to either overpay tax unnecessarily or misclassify a payment that Greek labor law requires to be cash. Here's how the €300 benefits-in-kind exemption actually works, why the statutory bonus sits entirely outside it, the client-gift rules, and 12 gift ideas that fit comfortably within the exemption.
The €300 benefits-in-kind exemption
Under Article 13 of Law 4172/2013 (the Greek Income Tax Code), as clarified by Circular ΠΟΛ.1219/2014, benefits in kind provided by an employer to an employee are exempt from tax up to a combined total of €300 per employee per year. This isn't a per-gift limit, it's a pooled annual ceiling: every in-kind benefit an employee receives during the year, whether that's a holiday hamper, a branded gift, a company product, or any other non-cash perk, counts against the same €300 total.
Crucially, this works as an excess-only mechanic, not a cliff-edge. If the combined value of an employee's in-kind benefits for the year comes to €380, only the €80 above the €300 threshold is added to that employee's taxable salary and subject to payroll withholding. The first €300 stays untaxed regardless of how much the total eventually reaches. This is a meaningfully more forgiving structure than rules where exceeding a threshold by even a small amount makes the entire gift taxable.
The exemption applies only to benefits in kind: physical goods, services, or non-cash perks. It has no bearing on anything paid in cash, which brings us to the next point.
Why the statutory Christmas bonus is different
Greece has a long-standing labor-law entitlement that's easy to confuse with a discretionary gift, but is legally nothing of the sort. The δώρο Χριστουγέννων (Christmas bonus), δώρο Πάσχα (Easter bonus), and επίδομα αδείας (holiday allowance) are mandatory payments every employer owes every employee under Greek labor law, calculated as a fraction of regular pay.
These entitlements must, by law, be paid in cash only, and they are fully taxed as ordinary salary, exactly like a normal paycheck. They have nothing to do with the €300 in-kind exemption above: you can't substitute part of the statutory bonus with a tax-free gift, and you can't apply the €300 pool to reduce its tax treatment. It's simply salary, paid on a fixed schedule, under a fixed formula.
What does interact with the €300 pool is a voluntary extra on top of the statutory bonus, a hamper, a branded gift box, or a gift card handed out alongside the mandatory Christmas payment. That voluntary in-kind extra falls under the general €300 pool discussed above, separate from and in addition to the cash bonus itself.
12 gift ideas
With €300 of pooled headroom per employee per year, most branded merchandise comfortably fits the exemption, even generous items, and even after other in-kind perks are factored in. Here are 12 ideas priced in EUR, with material, branding, and order details.
1. Hoodie – The Rex: the premium pick
A heavyweight, elevated hoodie that reads as a considered gift rather than a throwaway freebie, and still leaves plenty of room in the €300 pool.
- Material: heavyweight cotton-blend fleece.
- Branding: embroidery or print.
- Order: MOQ 100 · from €40.09/unit.
2. Sports Socks: the safe favourite
Sunday's most-ordered item, a small, unexpected gift that always lands well and leaves virtually all of the €300 pool untouched.
- Material: 80% cotton, 17% polyamide, 3% elastane.
- Branding: knitted-in logo zones.
- Order: MOQ 100 · from €4.00/unit.
3. Recycled Steel Bottle: everyday hydration
Vacuum insulation in recycled stainless steel, a gift that gets used and seen every day.
- Material: recycled stainless steel.
- Branding: laser engraving or print.
- Order: MOQ 50 · from €11.00/unit.
View the Recycled Steel Bottle →
4. A5 Notebook: FSC-certified paper
An A5 hardcover with elastic closure and ribbon marker, practical with a traceable material story.
- Material: FSC-certified paper, PU cover.
- Branding: debossing or print on the cover.
- Order: MOQ 100 · from €4.58/unit.
5. Premium Tote Bag: the lightweight carry
A heavyweight cotton tote with a premium feel, everyday enough to actually get used.
- Material: 270gsm cotton.
- Branding: print or custom straps.
- Order: MOQ 100 · from €6.44/unit.
6. Knitted Scarf: the cosy extra
A high perceived-value item, ideal for a winter gift that still comes in well under the €300 pool.
- Material: 80% viscose, 20% polyester.
- Branding: woven label.
- Order: MOQ 100 · from €7.66/unit.
7. Baseball Cap: the everyday accessory
An affordable, highly visible accessory that works all year round.
- Material: 100% cotton.
- Branding: embroidery.
- Order: MOQ 100 · from €8.34/unit.
8. Espresso Mug: for the morning coffee
A compact espresso-sized mug, a small everyday object that sits on the desk.
- Material: ceramic.
- Branding: print.
- Order: MOQ 108 · from €8.44/unit.
9. Bamboo Tea Bottle: the natural-material pick
A tea-friendly bottle with a bamboo-accented finish, a gift with a warmer, more tactile material story.
- Material: stainless steel with bamboo detailing.
- Branding: laser engraving or print.
- Order: MOQ 50 · from €18.70/unit.
10. RollTop Backpack: the premium carry
A clean, roll-top design that reads as a genuinely premium gift, well within the €300 pool on its own.
- Material: recycled polyester, roll-top closure.
- Branding: patch or debossed print.
- Order: MOQ 25 · from €24.57/unit.
11. Noise-Cancelling Headphones: the standout tech gift
A genuinely desirable piece of tech, the kind of gift that gets noticed and used daily.
- Material: recycled ABS plastic, foam ear cushions.
- Branding: pad print or laser engraving.
- Order: MOQ 50 · from €24.46/unit.
View the Noise-Cancelling Headphones →
12. Wireless Powerbank: the practical everyday tech
A compact wireless charging powerbank, useful enough to end up in every bag, not just a drawer.
- Material: recycled ABS plastic.
- Branding: pad print or laser engraving.
- Order: MOQ 50 · from €18.39/unit.
What about client gifts?
Gifts to clients and business contacts aren't governed by the €300 employee threshold at all. Greek tax law doesn't set a specific EUR cap or a percentage-of-revenue rule for client gifts. Instead, deductibility is judged under the general Article 22 business-expense test: to be deductible, the gift must serve the company's business interest, be properly documented, and correspond to a real, verifiable transaction.
VAT works differently. Under Article 7 of the VAT Code (Law 2859/2000), gifts valued up to €10 per gift are excluded from the VAT self-supply rules, meaning they don't trigger an output VAT charge the way larger no-consideration gifts otherwise would. It's worth noting that a previous rule capping this at 1% of annual turnover was struck down by the Council of State in 2024 and no longer applies. Today, the €10-per-gift value test is the only threshold that matters for this VAT carve-out.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the statutory cash bonus with the €300 in-kind exemption. The Christmas/Easter bonus and holiday allowance are a separate labor-law entitlement, paid in cash and fully taxed as salary; they have no connection to the €300 pool.
- Assuming cash gifts get any exemption at all. The €300 threshold applies exclusively to benefits in kind. Cash gifts, bonuses, and cash-equivalent payments are always fully taxable as ordinary salary from euro one.
- Assuming a percentage-of-turnover VAT cap still applies to client gifts. The old 1%-of-turnover limit was struck down by the Council of State in 2024. Only the €10-per-gift value test under Article 7 remains relevant today.
Note: this article is a general explainer, not tax advice. Thresholds and rules can change. Confirm how they apply to your business with your accountant or the Greek tax authority (AADE) directly.
Want more gift ideas?
For a wider shortlist across every price point, see 20 Corporate Gift Ideas for Employees in Greece: 20 branded picks spanning everyday desk items to premium tech, all priced in EUR with MOQs and direct catalogue links, and all comfortably within the €300 exemption.
Order gifts for your team
Every product above is fully customisable with your branding and available in business order quantities. Browse the full range in the Sunday catalogue to put together a gift that stays within the €300 exemption.
