Page 14 - Mazars Central and Eastern European tax guide 2023
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Croatia                                                                                                                rate of 5% will be applicable to supplies of gas and heating   etc.) and payment of a performance award (e.g., bonuses)
                                                                                                                                  from thermal units, firewood, pellets, briquettes and
                                                                                                                                                                                      up to EUR 995.42 per employee per annum is deemed
                                                                                                                                  wood chips until March 31 , 2024. Namely, the local tax   as non-taxable. Also, it should be noted that there are
                                                                                                                                                       st
                                                                                                                                  authorities have recently (during April) announced that   many other non-taxable receipts (employee meal costs,
                                                                                                                                  they are extending the deadline. VAT-exempt services are   reimbursement of rental costs, etc.). Since the new
                                                                                                                                  mainly banking services, insurance, educational services   provisions of the Labour Law define work at a separate
                               Mazars Cinotti Tax Consulting d.o.o.                                                               (under certain conditions), gambling, certain services   workplace (working from home), tax regulations were
                               Strojarska cesta 20, XVI. Floor,                                                                   provided by medical professionals and dentists and certain   amended accordingly and prescribe a non-taxable flat-rate
                               10 000 – Zagreb,                                                                                   other activities. The zero rate of VAT (0%) also applies   compensation to cover the costs of employees working
                               Croatia                                                                                            to the supply and installation of solar panels on private   from home to an amount not exceeding EUR 3.98 per day
                               Phone: (00385) 1 4864 420                                                                          residential buildings and public buildings. Activities   working from home, or EUR 66.37 per month.
                               Fax: (00385) 1 4864 429                                                                            of public interest are exempt from VAT regardless of their
                               www.mazars.hr                                                                                                                                          The examples below show the cost to the employer and
                                                                                                                                  institutional form. Entrepreneurs are obliged to register for   the employee in the cases of minimum and average wage
                                                                                                                                  VAT purposes during the calendar year in which the total   levels in the private sector. Basic personal allowance
                                                                                                                                  value of supplies exceeds a threshold of EUR 39,816.84.  amounts to EUR 530.89 and surtax is determined
                                                                                                                                  Excise duties, special tax on motor vehicles, special tax
           Corporate taxes and other direct taxes              A withholding tax of 15% is applied on interest, royalty and       on coffee and non-alcoholic beverages.              by municipality/city and varies from 0% to 18%.
                                                               business consultancy services paid by a Croatian company                                                                Active incomes fall under the scope of the SSC system:
           Depending on annual revenues, in Croatia CIT rates are set   to a foreign company. WHT on dividends, profit shares and   Personal income tax / Social security system      individual pension social contributions equal 20%
           at 18% (on revenues exceeding EUR 995,421.06) or 10%   performance by foreign performers is set at a rate of 10%.                                                          (employee contribution) and health and unemployment
           (annual revenues below the prescribed threshold of EUR   Croatia has more than 65 active DTT treaties used to avoid    PIT rates are set at 20% (monthly tax base up to EUR   contributions of 16.5% represent employer contributions.
           995.421,06). Enterprises with annual revenues below EUR   WHT. A withholding tax of 20% is applied on all payments     3,981.68) and 30% (exceeding EUR 3,981.68), while   For persons under 30 years of age employed for
           995,421.06 have the option of determining the corporate   to offshore companies for services not mentioned in the      the 10% rate is withheld from certain types of income,   an indefinite period, there are no contributions on salary
           income tax base by cash flow principle. Losses can   Law. The EU Directives on withholding tax apply.                  e.g., dividends, capital gains, lease of real estate, etc.   (16.5%) for a period of 5 years. Passive incomes are
           be carried forward for up to 5 years but special limitations                                                           The payment of occasional awards up to an amount not   generally only subject to taxes.
           are applicable in case of M&A transactions. Croatia uses   Real estate transfer tax (RETT) is applied on the transfer   exceeding EUR 663.61 (e.g., Christmas and Easter bonus,
           thin capitalization (4:1), but thin capitalization does not   of immovable property at a rate of 3%. The taxable base
           apply if shareholders are financial institutions, CIT payers   is the market value of an item of real estate at the moment
           in Croatia or PIT payers in Croatia. There is a range of tax   when the tax liability is incurred and the taxable person
           allowances for new investments and R&D, the education   is the buyer.
           of employees, etc.
                                                               VAT and other indirect taxes
            Transfer pricing in Croatia                        In Croatia, the standard rate of VAT is 25%. A reduced              Wage related taxes in Croatia                       Minimum wage                Average wage

            Arm's length principle   ü      Since 2004         rate of 13% applies to services involving the preparation                                                                                          in private sector
                                        The transfer pricing local   and serving of meals, tourist accommodation services,                                                             in EUR       in EUR        in EUR       in EUR
            Documentation liability  ü  file must be available within   newspapers, delivery of electrical energy, etc., while                                                           700           700           1,427        1,427
                                       30 days of its request by the
                                                               a reduced rate of 5% applies to milk, books, etc. The VAT
                                           Tax Authority.
                                                                                                                                   Total wage cost                                         816       117%           1,662       117%
            APA                  ü       APA is available as of    VAT options in                                                                              Employer's contribution     116        17%              235         17%
                                           1 January 2017.
            Country-by-Country             Since FY 2017.       Croatia                Applicable / limits                         Gross salary                                            700       100%           1,427      100%
            liability            ü                                                                                                                            Employee's contributions     140       20%               285         20%
                                                                                    Threshold for exemption is EUR 10,000/
            Master file-local file                              Distance selling    year, similar to other EU member states.                                         Tax and surtax*        7          0%               144         10%
            (OECD BEPS 13)      No    Master file-local file represents                    OSS applicable.                         Net salary
            applicable                informal legislative framework.                                                                                                                      553      79.0%              997         69.9%

            Penalty                                             Call-off stock                 ü                                  *Tax base differs from the gross salary, deductions apply.
                                      Not specifically stated, general   VAT group registration  No
              lack of documentation   ü  rules apply (up to EUR 26.545 -   Cash accounting – yearly   EUR 2,000,000/year
                                      for a company and EUR 2.655 -
                                      for the responsible individual).   amount in EUR (approx.)
                                        Additional tax charged
                                                                                    Yes, available to all Croatian VAT payers
                     tax shortage  ü     and 100% of that tax    Import VAT deferment  with the right to full input VAT deduction.
                                          is non-deductible.
                                        Direct or indirect control                   Construction work, the supply of used
                                50%   (25% is commonly used by the                   material, the transfer of allowances
            Related parties    (25%) <  tax authority and advisors)    Local reverse charge  to emit greenhouse gas, the supply
                                        or joint control functions.                   of immovable property in certain
                                                                                             conditions.

            Safe harbours        ü    Interest rates on loans between   Option for taxation                                                      Pere Mioč
                                           related parties.
                                                                    letting of real estate     No                                                Partner, Tax Advisory Services
                                                                supply of used real estate     ü                                                 Phone: +385 (0)1 4864 424
            Level of attention paid by Tax                                                                                                       Mobile: +385 (0)99 736 8746
            Authority                        8/10               VAT registration         EUR 39,816.84/year
                                                                threshold                                                                        E-mail: pere.mioc@mazars.hr

           14    Mazars                                                      Central and Eastern European tax guide 2023          Central and Eastern European tax guide 2023                                             Mazars   15
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