The self-employed face up to 10 years in prison for non-payment of taxes

Although it is still not clear for the self-employed how exactly to calculate the foreign income tax that they are obliged to pay, the Tax Administration says that the penalties for the debt are clear and range from 5,000 dinars to 10 years in prison with a fine , writes the portal. Nova.rs.

After the Serbian Tax Administration announced that everyone who earns income abroad working online has an obligation to accurately calculate their taxes, additional problems began for foreign language teachers, programmers, YouTubers and other self-employed freelancers. or contribute to the family budget in this way. , he writes Nova.rs.

The Tax Administration says for Nova.rs that penalties are prescribed for misdemeanors to taxpayers who do not file complaints and do not settle their obligations under the Law of Tax Procedure and Tax Administration, and the crime of tax evasion is provided in accordance with the Penal Code.

“A natural person who obtains income from abroad, but does not submit a tax return to the Tax Administration for work income, is fined from 5,000 to 150,000 dinars,” said the Tax Administration.

They add that, for those who declare the tax, but do not pay it, there is a fine in the amount of 50 percent of the tax determined, and not less than 5,000 dinars.

In addition, the Penal Code prescribes the crime of tax evasion.

As they explain, someone is considered to have committed tax evasion if in order to totally or partially avoid the payment of taxes, contributions or other prescribed rights, they give false information about the acquired income, do not report the acquired income, or with the same intention hides information related to the determination of the established obligations.

“If the amount of the obligation whose payment is avoided exceeds one million dinars, the person will be punished with a custodial sentence of one to five years and a fine,” says the Tax Administration for Nova.rs.

They add that for those whose unpaid obligation exceeds five million dinars, a prison sentence of two to eight years is foreseen, as well as a fine.

The highest fine is prescribed for those whose debt exceeds fifteen million dinars and includes three to ten years in prison and a fine.

Taking into account that the law according to which the self-employed must pay taxes has been in force for five years, the truth is that there are a significant number of those who are threatened with this, the maximum penalty, says Nova.rs.