Capital Gains Tax in Cyprus
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Our blogs are regularly updated to ensure information is current and accurate.
author's portraitAndreas Nicolaou
7/29/2024

Capital gains tax in Cyprus at the rate of 20% is only applicable to profits from the sale of property in Cyprus. This also applies to the sale of shares of a company that owns property in Cyprus or indirectly owns property in Cyprus and 50% of its market value is from immovable property.


However, shares listed on any recognised stock exchange are excluded from capital gains tax.

Calculating Capital Gains Tax

Since capital gains tax is only applicable on profit, the first step is to find the taxable profit from the sale of a property.


Simply put, the taxable profit is the difference between the price the property is being sold today versus the price the property was originally purchased for, plus any additional costs such as renovation costs, legal fees etc, plus any of the lifetime allowances if requirements are met.


Sale Price - (Purchase Price + Additional Costs + Lifetime Allowance) = Taxable Profit


Taxable Profit x 20% = Capital Gains Tax

Purchase Price (Adjusted for Inflation)

To find the difference between the price a property is being sold for today versus the price it was originally purchased for, you can't simply deduct the purchase price from the current sale price.


If you bought a house for €100,000 in 1985, that amount of money doesn't have the same value today because of inflation.


Inflation makes money lose its purchasing power over time, so €100,000 in 1985 could buy more than €100,000 can today. To find out how much that house would cost in today's money, we must first adjust for inflation, showing the true value in today's terms.


You can find a table of Inflation Rates released and updated by the Tax Department here.


Keep in mind that if you bought your property before the 1st of January 1980, the original cost of that property is considered to be its value as of the 1st of January 1980. That value is based on the valuation of the Land Registry.


To find the the inflation-adjusted purchase price you must:


  1. Divide the Inflation Rate in the year of sale by the Inflation Rate in the year of purchase. This gives us the inflation adjustment number.

  2. Then, multiply the original purchase price by the inflation adjustment number. This gives you the adjusted purchase price.


For example:

Say you bought a house in January 1985 for €100,000 and you sold it in January 2024.


The Inflation Rate in 1985 was 97,68 while the Inflation Rate in January 2024 was 251,17. Dividing 251,17 by 97,68 gives us 2.571 (inflation adjustment number).


Finally, multiplying €100,000 (original price) by 2.571, gives us €257,100, and that is the purchase price of your house adjusted for inflation.

Additional Expenses

Once you have found the purchase price adjusted for inflation, you should then add to the deductible amount any additional expenses that you incurred in relation to the property that were made exclusively for making a profit, provided that these expenses were not deducted from your then income tax returns.


This can include renovations that increase the value of a house and any expenses related to the sale of a house such as transfer fees, real estate commissions, legal fees, interest on loans and others.


Again, you can adjust these expenses to account for inflation to find the inflation-adjusted expenses:


  1. Divide the Inflation Rate in the year of sale by the Inflation Rate in the year the expenses were made. This gives us the inflation adjustment number.

  2. Then, multiply the original cost of expenses by the inflation adjustment number. This gives you the adjusted expenses.


For example:

Say you made some renovations to your house in January 1996 that cost €20,000, and you sold your house in January 2024.


The Inflation Rate in 1996 was 148,32 while the Inflation Rate in January 2024 was 251,17. Dividing 251,17 by 148,32 gives us 1.693 (inflation adjustment number).


Finally, multiplying €20,000 (original cost of expenses) by 1.693, gives us €33,868, and that is the cost of the renovation of your house adjusted for inflation.

Lifetime Allowances

Finally, individuals are entitled to lifetime allowances which can also be added to the deductible amount before calculating the amount subject to Capital Gains Tax.


Particularly, there are three types of allowances which an individual can claim:

Allowances€
Sale of a Primary Residence€85,430
Sale of Agricultural Land by a Farmer€25,629
Any Other Sale€17.086

Although it is possible to combine the above allowances, an individual cannot exceed the combined amount of €85,430. Additionally, you can only claim it once in your life.


Example

Using all variables, we can accurately calculate the capital gains tax payable upon the sale of a property.

Following the previous examples:


Sale Price - (Purchase Price + Additional Costs + Lifetime Allowance) = Taxable Profit


Taxable Profit x 20% = Capital Gains Tax


Say you sell your house in January 2024 for €400,000.


Using the scenario above, you bought your house in January 1985 for €100,000.


Purchase Price Adjusted for Inflation = €257,100


Moreover, you had renovations in your house in January 1996 that cost €20,000.


Additional Expenses Adjusted for Inflation = €33,868


Finally, this is the first time you are selling a property and your house is your primary residence. So you can claim the relevant lifetime allowance.


Lifetime Allowance = €85,430


Therefore:


€400,000 - (€257,100 + €33,868 + €85,430) = €23,610


€23,610 x 20% = €4,722


So, in the above scenario you'd have to pay €4,722 in capital gains tax for the sale of your house.

Exemptions

There are also a number of instances where the disposal of a property is not subject to Capital Gains Tax.


ExemptionsDescription
Transfer by deathWhen property is transferred due to the death of the owner. Such as in cases of inheritance.
Gifts between Close RelativesGifts made between parents and children, spouses, or close relatives (up to the third degree).
Foster ParentsGifts made between s foster parent to a foster child.
Property exchangesProvided that the value of the two properties being exchanged is the same.
Gifts to a company owned by family membersGifts to a company, where all shareholders are family members, are exempt if five years after the gift is made, the shareholders are still members of the family of the person who made the gift.
Gifts from a company owned by family members to a shareholderGifts from a family-owned company to a shareholder are exempt if the property was originally gifted to the company.
Gifts to the Republic or for charitable purposesGifts to the government or gifts towards educational, cultural, or charitable purposes to any approved charitable organisation.
Agricultural land under conditionsExchange or disposal of immovable property under the Agricultural Land (Consolidation) Laws.
Transfer of property or company shares due to reorganisationProperty transfers during company reorganisations and transfers of shares during company reorganisations, where shares are exchanged for other shares.
Property transfer between divorced spousesProperty transfers between divorced spouses as part of a property settlement.
Shares listed on a recognised stock exchangeThe transfer or disposal of shares listed on any recognised stock exchange.




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