Refund of International VAT in COVID-19 Conditions

Business operations in the time of the coronavirus pandemic are hampered, and some activities have even been rendered entirely impossible. The current unfavorable circumstances certainly worry Serbian companies (legal entities) which have successfully realized refunds on international VAT (hotel, seminar, congress, education, fuel, road toll and similar costs) in the past years, thereby contributing to making substantial savings on international costs and increasing their own liquidity.

The changes in the business environment (work from home, forced leaves etc.), frequent problems with the operations of electronic networks and the shortened work hours of institutions, as well as a disturbance in the operations of postal services and a number of courier services, will make the preparation of refund requests within the previously set deadlines much harder.

Considering all these circumstances and aiming to protect the interest of clients, the Swiss United Cash Back, the leading European network of offices for a refund of international VAT launched the idea to extend the deadlines for the filing of refund requests back in early March. In cooperation with the European International VAT Association (IVA), an initiative was created for extending the deadlines.

The initiative proposes a postponement of the deadlines from Directive 13 (whereby the current deadline is June 30, 2020) and Directive 8 (whereby the current deadline is September 30, 2020).

The initiative was sent to the European Commission, which replied that it supported the proposition and that consultations were being had with the biggest tax administrations in the EU. It has been unofficially confirmed that the tax administration of Germany has already supported the proposition.

The Commission is expected to adopt, by the end of April at the latest, an act that would oblige all tax administrations of EU states to postpone the deadlines.

We hope that the Tax Administration of Serbia will also move the deadline from June 30 to September 30, thereby protecting the interests of foreign investors and other foreign companies which carry out business activities in Serbia.

Cash Back Imo Beograd

Poreska uprava Srbije

Cash Back IMO doo

United Cash Back

International VAT Association

European Commission

Tax Administration of Serbia

international VAT

hotel costs

seminar costs

congress costs

education costs

fuel costs

road toll costs

refund of international VAT