Only Serbia and BiH charge VAT on donations
Apart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia is currently the only European country that charges VAT on donations, and despite constant allegations that this should be abolished, reiterated for at least 15 years, the state has not done so.
Dragoljub Rajic of the Business Support Network says that by not abolishing VAT on donations the state is hindering all institutions, but it also prevents assistance reaching those who need it. This is particularly pronounced, he notes, in the domain concerning the donation of medical devices and equipment.
„There are companies that import medical equipment and since 2008, they have faced the situations in which large organisations, foreign companies, wanted to donate some equipment to hospitals in Serbia, and ultimately they could not do it due to the complicated procedure.“
There were situations in which they gave up, and the goods were worth several million euros. Additionally, it goes without saying how poor we are and how disastrous our diagnostic is, one of the worst in Europe, along with Albania and Macedonia, Rajic says.
Izvor: Danas
Foto: Pixabay
