Cyprus Tax Reform 2026: Key Legislative Changes and Implications for Businesses

Navigating the New Fiscal Landscape

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The 2026 Cyprus Tax Reform marks a significant shift toward global compliance and modernization. Key updates include an increase in the corporate tax rate to 15% and a new residency test based on incorporation. The reform introduces a highly competitive 8% flat tax on crypto-assets and a reduced 5% SDC on dividends for residents. To bolster innovation, the IP Box regime offers an effective rate of 3%, while stricter transfer pricing thresholds and anti-avoidance rules (GAAR) ensure transparency. Real estate taxation is also tightened, applying Capital Gains Tax when 20% of a company's value comes from Cyprus property.

  • Residency & Rates: Moving to a 15% Corporate Tax and incorporation-based residency.

  • The Innovation Edge: Choosing between 3% IP Box gains or 120% R&D super-deductions.

  • Digital Assets & Dividends: Implementation of the 8% crypto tax and 5% dividend SDC.

  • Compliance & Anti-Avoidance: Lowered thresholds for transfer pricing and stricter property tax rules.

School Leaving Certificates Without ‘Equivalence'

Examining the legal, constitutional, and social implications of abolishing school leaving certificate equivalence in Cyprus

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The proposed amendment to Cyprus’ Private Schools Law, which seeks to abolish the equivalence of private school leaving certificates, raises significant concerns حول equality, constitutional rights, and access to public sector opportunities. This change could create disparities between private and public school graduates, while also introducing inconsistencies in the recognition of foreign qualifications. As the debate unfolds, the need for a balanced and unified approach to education policy becomes increasingly critical.

Real Estate Auctions in Greece: NPL Resolution, e-Auction Procedures, and Foreign Investor Access

How Greece’s e-auction system is accelerating NPL resolution and opening real estate opportunities to global investors.

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Following the financial crisis, Greece introduced significant reforms to reduce its high levels of non-performing loans (NPLs), enabling banks to clear balance sheets and revive the real estate market. A key measure has been the expansion of electronic property auctions through the national e-auction platform, which ensures transparency, legal certainty, and remote participation.

Governed by the Greek Code of Civil Procedure and recent legislative reforms, the process allows creditors to auction collateralised properties in a structured and regulated manner. Foreign investors can legally participate by obtaining a Greek tax identification number, appointing local legal representation, and completing due diligence before bidding.

As more properties enter the market through NPL resolution programs, Greece’s auction system is attracting institutional and private invest

Bridging the Gap: What Cyprus’ New IFA Law Means for the Investment Funds Sector

Strengthening Cyprus as a Competitive Investment Fund Jurisdiction with a Dedicated Fund Administration Regime

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Cyprus has taken a bold step forward in cementing its position as a credible fund jurisdiction with the adoption of the new Investment Fund Administrators (IFA) Law. Passed quietly in July 2024, this new framework may not have made international headlines, but it closes a longstanding gap in the country’s financial services ecosystem and signals a more mature, forward-looking approach to fund regulation.

In this article, we unpack what the law does, why it matters, and how it completes a puzzle that’s been slowly coming together over the past decade.

Privacy Across the Atlantic: The Data Privacy Framework’s (DPF) First Victory in Court

EU General Court Upholds the EU–US Data Privacy Framework in Case T-553/23

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On 9 September 2025, the EU General Court delivered its first major judgment on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework (DPF) in Case T-553/23 (Latombe v Commission), rejecting an action seeking the annulment of the European Commission’s 2022 adequacy decision. The ruling marks a significant milestone for transatlantic data transfers, distinguishing the DPF from its predecessors, Safe Harbor (invalidated in 2015) and Privacy Shield (invalidated in 2020).

The applicant challenged the adequacy decision on several grounds, including concerns over U.S. surveillance practices, large-scale data collection, access to an independent tribunal, and safeguards against automated decision-making. The Court dismissed these claims, finding that U.S. law provides sufficient limitations and safeguards, including targeted intelligence collection under FISA, and that the newly established Data Protection Review Court satisfies the requirements of independence and effective judicial redress under Article 47 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and Article 45 GDPR.

Importantly, the Court reaffirmed that an adequacy framework does not need to mirror GDPR identically but must ensure an “essentially equivalent” level of protection. The decision provides increased legal certainty for businesses relying on the DPF for EU–US data transfers and signals judicial recognition of U.S. reforms aimed at strengthening oversight and redress mechanisms.

While a potential appeal remains possible, the judgment offers cautious optimism that the DPF may provide greater stability for cross-border data flows within the EU–US economic relationship.

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