5 WAYS TO REDUCE EMPLOYMENT TAX BURDEN IN HUNGARY


In Hungary the overall tax burden on employment income represents 44% of the total wage cost. Here are the most efficient ways to cut this tax bill.
In Hungary the overall tax burden on employment income represents 44% of the total wage cost. Here are the most efficient ways to cut this tax bill.
While dozens of programmers, engineers and hairdressers continue to opt for KATA [the fixed-rate tax for enterprises categorised as “small taxpayers”] in Hungary, the tax is increasingly coming under fire from all sides. Apparently, the Hungarian Tax Authority (NAV) is stepping up its investigations into businesses who employ KATA payers, and at the same time rumours are also flying about a planned KATA tightening.
For two years, new rules apply to proceedings at the ordinary courts, which make litigation a lot more difficult and formalised. As a result, lawyers are increasingly confronted with the question of whether the arbitration court or the ordinary court is more appropriate for ruling on any potential disputes. Of course, the time-worn answer is: it depends… But on what?
Most have heard of the difference between Anglo-Saxon case law and the continental courts – and perhaps that Hungary has so far firmly belonged to the latter camp. However, an amendment to the law that has recently been adopted represents a major step in the opposite direction – one that could result in thousands of Supreme Court rulings becoming precedents overnight.
While a typical small or medium-sized family business consists of a single company, large enterprises tend to work in the form of a company group, made up of numerous companies. How do company groups form and what justifies their formation? When is it worth establishing a company group? These are the questions we seek to answer.
When it comes to instances of compensation, this is not always the case. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recently reiterated that compensation for damages or contractual penalties may also qualify as consideration for a service for the purposes of VAT. This is important because consideration (i.e. the price of a service) is subject to VAT, whereas compensation is not. This could affect so-called loyalty periods or other fixed-term services in particular.
The law is constantly in flux. While many people may find this intimidating, for us it’s precisely what makes it so exciting. We’d like to share this attitude with businesspeople and managers, and with those who just have an interest in business law, in the form of a regularly updated blog that discusses the latest tax law and commercial law issues in an accessible style. Feel free to send your questions and suggestions for topics you’d like us to cover to blog@jalsovszky.com.