Higher tax next year for citizens of Belgrade

The councillors of the Belgrade City Assembly adopted amendments to the decision on the amount of the property tax rate, which stipulate that the tax on the property of natural persons for next year may be increased by a maximum of five percent compared to this year’s tax.

As stipulated, citizens whose real estate prices for 2023 have been reduced will be charged a lower tax amount compared to the previous year.

Among other things, the amendment to the decision on local administrative fees was adopted, which, as stated, are aligned with the retail price growth index of 11.9%.

During the discussion at the session of the Belgrade City Assembly, city manager Miroslav Cuckovic said that too much attention had been paid to the topic that was more administrative than essential.

„Our income from property tax is 460 million dinars, and due to this increase, it will be 23 million dinars higher in the upcoming year,“ Cuckovic said.

He assessed that all the discussions that were conducted on the topic were exaggerated compared to what this decision intrinsically meant.

Opposition: It is like being in Monaco

Head of the council group „We must“ Dobrica Veselinovic suggested that the property tax should not be paid on family apartments.

„We believe that the civilization minimum is 20 square meters per person, which means that a family of four would not pay taxes on an apartment up to 80 square meters. Anything beyond that and other real estate would be progressively taxed,“ Veselinovic suggested.

He also said that that would make life easier for most fellow citizens and would reduce social inequalities.

Head of the council group of the People’s Party, Milos Pavlovic, said that the tax bases in Belgrade were the same as for real estate in Monaco, not in the Serbian capital, and that further tax increases, even of five percent, would further affect already impoverished citizens.

Head of the Dveri council group, Radmila Vasic, pointed out that there was an unfair taxation system in Serbia, regardless of whether it was a property or salary tax, which did not recognize the categories of the poor, socially disadvantaged, middle class or rich.

Izvor: RTS

Foto: BIZLife