Meeting five or more of the nine criteria reclassifies a contractor as an employee for tax purposes. Each criterion, and how engagements can be structured to stay clear of it.
- Reporting consistency
- Non-EU market access caveat
- Does a Serbian entity provide EU market access?
Serbia applies a flat 15% corporate income tax rate uniformly to resident and foreign companies earning Serbian-source income, with no municipal surcharge and no minimum tax — one of the lowest and structurally simplest corporate rates in Europe. The d.o.o., Serbia's standard limited liability company, can be formed with as little as RSD 100 in share capital and registered remotely through the Business Registers Agency (APR).
What has to be filed in Serbia, and against which standard. Every figure below is published on the Serbia country page.
| Serbia | |
|---|---|
| Accounting standard | Serbian GAAP, or IFRS for large entities and public-interest entities |
| Annual accounts filing | Annual financial statements filed with the Business Registers Agency (APR) by 30 June following year-end |
| Statutory audit | Statutory audit required for large and medium-sized entities and public-interest entities under Serbian accounting law |
| Company registry | Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR) |
| VAT standard rate | 20% |
What makes it complex in Serbia
- Reporting consistency — between Serbian statutory accounts and group-level requirements.
- Non-EU market access caveat — — Serbia is not in the EU single market; a Serbian entity does not provide EU/EEA market access or an EU VAT number.
Does a Serbian entity provide EU market access?
No. Serbia is an EU candidate country but not a current member, so a Serbian entity does not provide EU/EEA single-market access or an EU VAT number. Companies specifically requiring EU market access should structure accordingly, using Serbia as a low-cost operational base alongside an EU entity rather than as a substitute for one.
What is the newly settled taxpayer relief?
Qualifying employees relocating to Serbia — who did not predominantly reside there in the prior 24 months, or are under 40 and were abroad for study or training — can receive a 70% reduction in both income tax base and social security contributions for five years from the start of employment, a significant incentive for relocating talent.
Reporting consistency is one of the points HTLC Network handles for clients operating in Serbia, within a single engagement that covers every other country they operate in — executed locally, governed centrally.
In Serbia the scope is: Statutory accounts under IFRS-aligned standards, VAT returns, and corporate tax filings aligned with Serbian requirements, including transfer pricing documentation for related-party transactions.
See Accounting & Tax Compliance in Serbia for the full scope, or the Serbia country page for the statutory framework across every service.
Figures as published on the HTLC Network country pages, reviewed September 2026 and collected from public sources. They are not a substitute for advice on a specific case and should be verified before being relied on.