The Government of Serbia is considering the possibility of postponing tax debts and overdue tax liabilities, due to the crisis caused by the corona virus pandemic.
This conclusion is derived from the working version of the Draft Law on Amendments to the Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration, published on the website of the Ministry of Finance. This is what Blic, Nova ekonomija and B92 are writing today.
The draft version states:
“Exceptionally, in order to mitigate the economic consequences caused by a pandemic, force majeure or other extraordinary event occurring during a calendar year, the deferral of payment of due tax or overdue tax liabilities shall be approved in the manner and under the conditions determined by the Government.”
In addition, changes are envisaged for Article 173a, which refers to tax fraud related to value added tax. The new version of this Article should read:
“Whoever, with the intention that he or another person, in the previous 12 months realizes the right to unfounded refund of value added tax or tax credit in case of value added tax, submits one or more value added tax returns of untrue content, and the amount of refund or tax loan exceeds one million dinars (8.3 thousand euros), will be punished by imprisonment from one to five years and a fine.
Whoever, with the intention that he or another person, in the previous 12 months completely or partially avoids the payment of value added tax, does not file one or more value added tax returns, submits one or more value added tax returns of false content or who the same intention otherwise avoids the payment of value added tax, and the amount of tax avoided exceeds one million dinars (8.3 thousand euros), shall be punished by imprisonment for a term between one and five years and a fine.
If the amount of value added tax from para. 1 and 2 of this Article exceeds five million dinars (33 thousand euros), the perpetrator shall be punished by imprisonment for a term between two and eight years and by a fine.
If the amount of value added tax from para. 1 and 2 of this Article exceeds fifteen million dinars (100 thousand euros), the perpetrator shall be punished by imprisonment for a term between three and ten years and by a fine.
To a natural person, entrepreneur and responsible person in a legal entity – a taxpayer for a criminal offense under para. 1 to 4 of this Article, a security measure prohibiting the performance of vocations, activities and duties from one to five years shall also be imposed”, 021 reports.
