This year, the most frequently mentioned buzzwords in the IT sector are "cybersecurity" and "compliance." This is due to the NIS2 directive, which is being uniformly introduced across the EU, and the tasks associated with it span the entire year. Moreover, in just a few days, Hungarian businesses must move past the second phase as well.

While the golden visa rules are still being finalised in Hungary, similar schemes have been popular in other EU countries for years. However, once the Hungarian rules have been finalised, the Hungarian Golden Visa will be highly competitive by EU standards.

As in every year, the Hungarian tax administration has published its yearly summary with the most important trends and numbers regarding taxation in Hungary during 2023. In the last year it seemed that, while the tax authority was still increasing its efforts to entice the taxpayers’ voluntary compliance, fines have also soared to unprecedented heights. The statistics also show that it remains worthwhile to take the case to the courts if one finds the National Tax and Customs Administration’s decisions unlawful.

The new R&D tax credit has been in place for over half a year, and soon businesses involved in innovation will need to decide whether they will pay taxes under the new or old tax credit scheme at the end of the year. However, due to the complexity of the regulations and the interplay between various incentives, making the right choice is often far from simple.

Manufacturers have less than a month left - until June 30, 2024 -  before they must comply with the rules for products subject to the mandatory Deposit Refund System (DRS) when placing them on the market. Compliance with the new regulations will result in a price increase of HUF 50 per product, which consumers will have to bear - unless they return the relevant beverage cans and bottles.

In a previous article, we analyzed the phenomenon where courts typically reduce the attorney fees awarded to the winning party. This essentially forces the winner to incur unjustified losses, indirectly causing market distortion. Now, the Supreme Court has responded to this phenomenon with a precedent-setting, binding decision. Let's first look at the key developments and then how this affects litigation strategy!

According to the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 16 May 2024 (C-746/22), the Hungarian rule that does not allow foreign taxpayers in VAT refund cases to submit their documents even in the appeal procedure is contrary to EU law. We have summarised the key lessons learned from the case which was handled by our office.

In the audit practice of the Hungarian Tax and Customs Administration (HTA), the audit of transfer pricing is gaining importance. Moreover, the relevant regulations are becoming more complex with each passing year. As the deadlines for transfer pricing documentation approach, it is worth reviewing what hidden pitfalls should be avoided when preparing documentation and providing data.