Collect the tax debt instead of increasing the VAT

The total tax debt of 354 million euros, according to the Tax Administration (TA), refers to debts that have been recorded since the formation of tax accounting in 2002, and when it will start to be collected more quickly, there is still no clear answer.

According to official estimates, about 20 percent of that debt is collectible, i.e. about 70 million euros, which is the approximate amount - the planned budget revenue based on the new taxation of gross earnings and the freezing of pensions (about 30 million euros) and the expected revenue from the planned increase in the VAT rate with 17 to 19 percent (about 40 million euros).

Minister of Finance Radoje Žugić told "Vijesta" that a "realistic approach" should be taken when talking about the collection of tax debt, because the largest part of that money is owed by slightly more than 100 taxpayers who have major problems in business.

PU "Vijesti" was told that the amount of the total tax debt of about 205,9 million euros, which was announced by the former management of PU and the Ministry of Finance, was "misinterpreted" by the public, and that it refers to debts incurred since 2009 . Interest on all recorded debts was included in the figure announced by the previous management of the two authorities.

"The amount of 354 million euros refers to the total tax debt accumulated over a long period of time, which is partly made up of claims that are not realistically collectable," said the PU, adding that these are completely different data.

According to the data, in 2009 the accumulated debt amounted to about 82 million euros, in 2010 it was 66 million, in 2011 it was 35 million and in 2012 it was 22,5 million. "Since 2009, there has been an evident trend of decreasing newly incurred tax debt on an annual basis. This fact is both encouraging, and it should be emphasized that only regular taxpayers can receive positive treatment in the PU, while all available measures are taken to sanction undisciplined taxpayers in order to establish fiscal discipline and secure budget revenues.

Debts of 354 million euros have been accumulated under the influence of numerous political, social and economic factors," said the PU. When asked what is meant by the preparation of measures for the collection of tax debt, what those measures are and when collection from the PU will begin, no complete information was provided.

"PU analyzed the tax debt in order to prepare measures for its collection. When assessing the possibility of collecting tax claims, it is necessary to determine several factors, such as whether the taxpayers continue to perform their activities, i.e. earn income, whether and for how long the giro account is blocked, as well as whether the taxpayers own property from which they would the outstanding debt could be collected. Collection measures can include reminding debtors to pay their debts, forced collections in the form of account blocking, collection of claims from the debtor's property and initiation of bankruptcy proceedings and determination of the responsibility of the person who has a tax debt", answered the PU.

That institution did not answer the question of how much of the debt of 354 million euros refers to former large companies that are in bankruptcy or have not been privatized, as determined by the analysis that was done.

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