Koprivica: Bemaks must pay taxes, the state has mechanisms for forced collection

The Ministry of Finance rejected Bemaks' appeal and confirmed the Tax Administration's decision - that the company owes the state 28,4 million euros in unpaid taxes and interest.

The initiative for the Tax Administration to investigate Bemax's operations was submitted in June last year by Deputy Prime Minister Momo Koprivica. He points out that the company now has a legal obligation to pay the entire amount to the state.

"They have to pay taxes and the state has mechanisms for forced collection," Koprivica told TV Vijesti.

When asked when the deadlines for this forced collection will occur, he says: "These deadlines are defined by this law and it is a relatively recent period."

At the heart of this case is a contract from July 2022. Veselin Kovačević, the then owner of Bemaks, sold the company to Ivan Ubović for 750.000 euros. On paper, this means that he earned only 200 euros, which was the difference between the stake he had previously invested in the company and the amount he sold it for. As a result, he was only liable for tax of 30 euros.

On the other hand, according to financial reports, at the end of 2021, the company had capital of as much as 142 million euros, fixed assets of 120 million, and 141 million in net retained earnings.

Consequently, Kovačević sold the company for less than one percent of its actual value. Therefore, Koprivica requested that the Tax Administration be involved.

"The Tax Administration, therefore, conducted an audit, correctly applied the regulations, engaged economic and financial experts, and therefore, in full accordance with the procedures, determined through the minutes and by issuing a decision in February 2025 that tax payment had been avoided and issued a decision to determine the tax liability," he says.

Will they pay the tax? - Bemaks did not respond to Television Vijesti during the day. A few months ago, their former owner Kovačević filed a lawsuit to terminate the purchase agreement from July 2022, and in his appeal against the tax ruling, he stated that he did not know that the Income Tax Law would be amended subsequently and that it would be applied retroactively.

Koprivica, however, claims that no retroactive tax has been introduced, but that the tax authority has been given the opportunity to comb through contracts within the tax statute of limitations and see if there are any fraudulent prices, in order to avoid capital gains tax. This case is not isolated, says the Deputy Prime Minister.

"We are investigating one by one, numerous problems from the previous period have accumulated, but it is therefore quite certain that the fight against abuses and the fight for equality will continue and institutions will serve citizens, not the privileged."

Along with the tax initiative, Koprivica also filed a criminal complaint with the Special Prosecutor's Office in June last year, on suspicion of the criminal offense of tax and contribution evasion, and that is pending.