Tax Administration SHOCKS Subotica’s seafarers: Some must pay EUR 15,000

The citizens of Subotica, who have been working on ships in the world for years, received in mid-December last year temporary decisions on the payment of income tax for citizens in Serbia for 2017, and the amounts range up to 15,000 euros.

According to the Maglocistac portal, the citizens were shocked by the amounts they should pay to the state, but also by the manner in which the funds are claimed, despite the fact that the position of seafarers in Serbia is not regulated.

„According to unofficial information, more than 20,000 Serbian citizens work on ships abroad, and a large number of them receive salaries into accounts in Serbia. Many of them tried to pay taxes in previous years, but they were turned down by the tax administration because their status was not regulated by a special law, nor was there a form for self-taxation,“ the portal reports.

Due to the attempt to collect taxes for the past 5-year period, which is the maximum period allowed by the laws in Serbia, a large number of citizens hired lawyers and filed appeals against such decisions and on December 30, 2022, the Association of Seafarers of Serbia addressed the President of Serbia with an open letter regarding this issue.

In the letter, they requested the cancellation of all the temporary decisions and the collection until an appropriate model of taxation of revenues is found and agreed on, as well as the establishment of a task force as quickly as possible and creating a model of taxation of seafarers based on the example of already existing models in other countries.

They must pay almost half of their salaries to the state

As it is stated, the majority of citizens who received temporary decisions from the Tax Administration filed an appeal both on the basis for taxation and the indicated amounts.

Some of them said that they would pay monthly instalments in the amount of several thousand dinars per 120 instalments, that is, 10 years, while the others refused to pay because they believe that they do not owe the state, that they are not criminals, and that the healthcare system in Serbia has not been available to them for years because they have not had health insurance.

Izvor: Beta

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