When you move your freelance business to a new country, one of the first practical questions is invoicing. Do you need accounting software? Do invoices need specific tax codes? How does VAT work across borders?
In Greece, the system has gone fully digital with myDATA, the electronic bookkeeping platform of the tax authority. It sounds intimidating, but it comes with a real advantage for freelancers: the Greek state provides a free invoicing application, and from November 2026 it is also one of the approved channels for mandatory e-invoicing.
The short answer
- Every invoice you issue in Greece must be transmitted to myDATA and carries a MARK number and QR code.
- timologio is AADE’s free web app that does this for you. No software subscription needed.
- From 2 November 2026 e-invoicing is mandatory for freelancers for invoices to Greek businesses and non-EU businesses (public-sector invoices since 1 September 2025), and timologio is one of the approved channels.
- It only issues invoices. VAT returns, bookkeeping and the annual return are still your accountant’s job.
- Remote employees on a foreign payroll do not invoice at all.
The myDATA era
Greece requires every business transaction to be reported electronically to myDATA (My Digital Accounting and Tax Application), run by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).
As a freelancer in Greece, every invoice you issue must be transmitted to myDATA. This generates a MARK number (the unique myDATA registration number) and a QR code on your invoice, proving it is registered with the state. With timologio, transmission happens the moment you issue the invoice.
In many countries freelancers pay €10 to €30 a month for invoicing software such as Xero, QuickBooks or sevDesk. In Greece, the basic tool is free.
Enter timologio (the free state app)
So that small businesses and freelancers are not burdened with software costs, AADE launched timologio (literally “invoice”).
timologio is a free, web-based application provided directly by AADE, designed for freelancers and small businesses that issue a manageable number of invoices per month. The mobile version is called myDATAapp.
Why timologio works for B2B remote workers
- It is free. No subscription fees, no setup costs.
- Direct myDATA integration. The moment you click “Issue”, the invoice is transmitted to the tax authority and the MARK number and QR code are added to the PDF.
- Greek interface, English invoices. The app itself is in Greek, but once your templates are set up the workflow is a few clicks, and since the April 2026 update (version 2.0, live from 22 April) the invoice document itself can be issued in English for foreign clients.
- Handles cross-border VAT. For business clients abroad you select the “no VAT, Article 14 VAT Code” exemption (place of supply outside Greece). For EU clients, this is the reverse-charge case: you need a VIES registration, the client’s valid VAT ID on the invoice and a monthly recapitulative statement. For US or UK clients the service is outside Greek VAT scope: same code, no reverse-charge wording. Details in our VAT guide for freelancers with foreign clients.
- Works with the small-business VAT exemption. If your Greek turnover stays at or below €10,000 in both the current and the previous year, you can opt for the small-business exemption (Article 44a VAT Code, AADE decision A.1011/2026) and invoice Greek clients without VAT, citing that exemption. New freelancers choose it in their registration declaration; existing ones apply through “My Requests” (Τα Αιτήματά μου) in myAADE with form Δ211.
What timologio is not
timologio is only an invoicing tool, not accounting software. It does not calculate depreciation, it does not file your VAT returns, and it gives no profit-and-loss analytics. It issues compliant invoices and sends them to the state. Your accountant still retrieves this data and does the actual bookkeeping.
November 2026: timologio becomes your compliance channel
From 2 November 2026, invoices to Greek businesses and businesses outside the EU (US, UK, Switzerland) have to be issued through an approved e-invoicing channel: a licensed provider, or AADE’s free apps. Invoices to the public sector have had to be electronic since 1 September 2025. Invoices to EU businesses and to private individuals are not covered yet, but still go to myDATA as before. A transition period until 31 January 2027 applies to businesses that declared their invoicing method in time.
If you issue all in-scope invoices through timologio or myDATAapp, you do not need to file a declaration. If you want to keep your current invoicing method in parallel during the transition, you need a declaration of use for timologio (or a provider’s declaration) with a start date no later than 2 November 2026 (A.1197/2026). An in-scope invoice not issued through an approved channel is treated as a missing invoice under Article 57 of the Tax Procedure Code: 50% of the VAT with a minimum of €250 (simple books) or €500 (double-entry) for a first offence, rising for repeat offences, or a fixed €500 or €1,000 per audit if the invoice carries no VAT. Full details, deadlines and penalties are in our e-invoicing guide.
How to set it up
To use timologio, you need your Greek TAXISnet credentials, the login details for the tax portal that you receive with your AFM number.
- Log in to the timologio portal via the official AADE website.
- Configure your profile. Upload your logo, set your business details and define your standard services. Your accountant should help you set up the correct VAT exemption codes for your client base.
- Add clients. Enter the VAT numbers and addresses of your foreign clients.
- Issue. Create a new invoice, select the client, enter the amount and hit issue. The PDF is generated, registered with the state and ready to email.
What about remote employees?
If you live in Greece but are employed by a foreign company (or via an Employer of Record), none of this applies to you. You receive a payslip, you do not run a Greek business and you do not issue invoices.
If you are setting up as a freelancer to claim the 50% tax break (if you were not a Greek tax resident in 5 of the previous 6 years; Digital Nomad Visa holders don’t qualify), timologio is the tool you will use most.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AADE timologio app free?
Yes. timologio is a free web application from the Greek tax authority (AADE) for issuing invoices. There are no subscription or setup fees. The mobile version is called myDATAapp. You log in with your TAXISnet credentials.
Do I need invoicing software as a freelancer in Greece?
Not necessarily. Every invoice must be transmitted to myDATA, but timologio does this for free and is an approved channel under the e-invoicing mandate that applies to freelancers from 2 November 2026. Paid software or an approved provider makes sense for high volume, integrations or automated reminders.
Can I issue invoices in English with timologio?
Yes. The interface is in Greek, but since the April 2026 update the invoice itself can be issued in English, with your client’s details, VAT numbers and the correct exemption wording for foreign clients.
What is a MARK number on a Greek invoice?
MARK (Μοναδικός Αριθμός Καταχώρησης) is the unique registration number myDATA assigns to every transmitted invoice, printed with a QR code. It proves the invoice is registered with the Greek tax authority.
How taxomade can help
timologio is free, but the first invoice is where the mistakes happen: wrong activity code (KAD), wrong VAT exemption reason, missing VIES check. In our ongoing bookkeeping, from €89 per month, we set up your timologio profile and exemption codes with you and handle the myDATA and VAT side from there.
Rules as of November 2026 (joint decision A.1128/2025 as amended by A.1197/2026, A.1129/2025, VAT Code arts. 14 and 44a, Tax Procedure Code art. 57).