INDIRECT TAXES: VALUE ADDED

TAX (VAT) IN SLOVAKIA

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

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This publication has been developed in the framework of the Magyar-Szlovák Közös Inkubációs Központ

Pócsmegyer implemented through the Hungary-Slovakia Cross-border Co-operation Programme 2007 –

2013 co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

www.husk-cbc.eu

The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily

reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EASME nor the European Commission are

responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

January 2015

CONTENT

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Content

Content .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Indirect taxes: Value added tax (VAT) in Slovakia ..................................................................................................................... 3

Value added tax (VAT) ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Vat registration ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

VAT de-registration ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4

VAT rates in slovakia ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Recovery .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

VAT period .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

VAT return .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Ec sales list ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5

VAT Ledger Statement (VLS).......................................................................................................................................................... 6

Refunds .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Taxable persons – VAT registered in Slovakia .................................................................................................................. 6

Foreign taxable persons – not VAT registered in Slovakia .......................................................................................... 6

Foreign individuals........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Customs duties ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Excise duties .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7

For more information: ................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Contact information ................................................................................................................................................................................. 8

INDIRECT TAXES: VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) IN SLOVAKIA

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Indirect taxes: Value added tax (VAT) in Slovakia

The indirect tax is a tax imposed on consumption, sales, shipping, or production, rather than directly on

the property or income of the consumer. Indirect taxes are generally included in the price of goods and

services, so are less obvious to those paying the taxes than direct levies.

There are two types of indirect taxes:

a. Value Added Tax

b. Excise Taxes

VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT)

Slovakia implemented the EU Council Directive 2006/112/EC of 28 November 2006 on the common

system of value added tax as well as other amending EU VAT Directives.

VAT REGISTRATION

Slovak taxable persons/entities, with their seat, place of business, establishment or residence in Slovakia,

must in general register for VAT if their cumulative turnover within the previous maximum of twelve

calendar months reached EUR 49,790.

Specific rules apply mainly to:

o a person who acquires a business or a part of a business of a VAT payer;

o a legal successor of a VAT payer dissolved without liquidation;

o a person supplying immovable property unless a VAT exemption applies.

If a taxable person not established in Slovakia commences economic activities that are subject to tax in

Slovakia, it is required to register and account for VAT with the Tax Office Bratislava prior to

commencement of such activities. However, this does not apply in certain situations, e.g. if the taxable

person supplies only services or goods with installation or assembly and the customer is a person liable to

pay tax for these supplies.

INDIRECT TAXES: VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) IN SLOVAKIA

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Foreign persons are obliged to vat registration in Slovakia if:

o they start economic activities in Slovakia which are subject to VAT;

o they make distance sales in Slovakia (supplies of goods from outside Slovakia to Slovak non-

taxable persons) and the total value of the supplied goods exceeded EUR 35,000;

o they make distance sales of goods subject to excise duties to Slovak non-taxable persons for

personal consumption.

VAT registration without entitlement to deduct input VAT is obligatory for taxable persons:

o or legal entities which acquire goods from another EU Member State at a value exceeding EUR

14,000 in a calendar year;

o who acquire/render services from/to another EU Member State under certain conditions.

VAT DE-REGISTRATION

VAT deregistration can be applied in these situations:

o a taxpayer did not reach a turnover of EUR 49,790 in the previous 12 calendar months;

o an entity, registered for the acquisition of goods from another EU Member State, which did not

acquire goods at a total value of EUR 14,000 in the previous calendar year;

o a foreign entity performing distance sales, if the total value of the supplied goods did not reach

EUR 35,000 in the previous calendar year.

Application for VAT deregistration is obligatory for a taxpayer who ceased to perform economic activities.

Tax Authorities can deregister ex-off a VAT payer, who:

o does not carry out economic activity in Slovakia;

o repeatedly does not fulfil its administrative and other obligations. The list of these VAT payers is

published on a Tax Directorate web site.

VAT RATES IN SLOVAKIA

Value Added Tax in the Slovak Republic includes one tax rate of 20% applied for almost all taxable

supplies. A reduced rate of 10% applies to medicaments, certain medical aids and books (subject to certain

conditions).

INDIRECT TAXES: VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) IN SLOVAKIA

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RECOVERY

A taxpayer is entitled to deduct VAT from purchased goods and services used by the taxpayer for the

supply of goods and services as a VAT payer. In general, the taxpayer can recover the input VAT provided

that:

o a VAT liability arose with respect to the purchased goods or services, in the case of import of

goods, the import VAT was paid;

o the VAT was applied on the supply (by the supplier/the customer/the customs authorities)

o the taxpayer has a valid VAT document (invoice).

No VAT recovery is possible on purchased goods or services for the purpose of:

o entertainment or amusement;

o exemption from VAT without entitlement to input VAT recovery: this applies to certain activities in

the public interest e.g. postal services, medical care, education, sporting and cultural services,

public broadcasting and television, as well as other activities e.g. financial and insurance services,

sale and lease of real estate (option to tax exists), sale of a business under certain conditions.

VAT PERIOD

The VAT period of newly registered VAT payers is strictly a calendar month. A quarterly VAT period can be

opted for VAT payers after their registration for at least 12 months and their total turnover in the

preceding 12-month period did not reach a total value of EUR 100,000.

VAT RETURN

VAT return has to be filed within 25 days following the previous VAT period. As of 1 January 2014,

electronic filing of all tax filings (not only VAT returns) became obligatory for all VAT payers. Sending tax

filings to tax authorities in a paper form is no more possible.

EC SALES LIST

EC Sales List need to be submitted within 25 days after the end of the period to which they relate, and they

have to be filed electronically. Quarterly filing is possible, if the value of the goods reported does not

exceed EUR 100,000 in the respective quarter and in four previous calendar quarters. This threshold

should be reduced to EUR 50,000 in the course of 2014. EC sales lists need to be submitted within 20 days

after the end of the period to which they relate, and they have to be filed electronically.

INDIRECT TAXES: VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) IN SLOVAKIA

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VAT LEDGER STATEMENT (VLS)

Since 2014, VAT registered persons are obliged to file a „VAT Ledger Statement“ (VLS) with the Tax

Authorities in Slovakia. The VLS must contain a detailed list of issued and received invoices for the

respective VAT period from which the VAT registered person has applied/deducted Slovak VAT. The VLS

must be filed for each tax period together with the VAT return, by the 25th day following the end of the

respective tax period in an electronic form.

REFUNDS

Taxable persons – VAT registered in Slovakia

The excess input VAT claim should be carried forward and offset against future VAT liability in the

following taxable period. The excess input VAT claim which could not be offset against the VAT liability

declared in the following taxable period should be refunded to the VAT payer no later than 30 days after

the VAT return for the following period was filed.

Foreign taxable persons – not VAT registered in Slovakia

A foreign person who is registered for VAT abroad, or is registered as a payer of a similar general

consumption tax abroad, is entitled to claim a refund of Slovak VAT paid upon the delivery of certain goods

or the provision of certain services, if the following conditions are met:

o the person did not have any seat, place of business, fixed establishment or residence in Slovakia

(within EU in the case of a non-EU person);

o during the period for which they filed a VAT refund request, they could not supply any goods or

provide any services in Slovakia (subject to certain exceptions).

Foreign individuals

An individual with no residence in any EU country, exporting goods (except for fuel) from Slovakia, can file

a request for a VAT refund of Slovak VAT if:

o the amount of the goods exported outside the EU stated on the invoice or receipt exceeds EUR

175;

o they posses a document on purchase of goods issued by a taxpayer;

o export is carried out within three months following the end of the month of purchase;

o the Customs Office of any EU country certifies the export of goods.

INDIRECT TAXES: VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT) IN SLOVAKIA

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CUSTOMS DUTIES

Since 1 May 2004, customs rates are based on the EU customs tariffs and depend on the classification of

goods and their origin. Customs duty is normally payable within 10 days of the date of importation of

goods. Normally, payments cannot be deferred for more than 30 days.

EXCISE DUTIES

Excise duties are governed by separate acts which set out the conditions under which excise duty is levied

on: mineral oils, alcoholic drinks, tobacco products and electricity, coal and natural gas (referred to as

“excisable products).

For more information:

https://www.financnasprava.sk/en/businesses/taxes-businesses/value-added-tax

https://www.financnasprava.sk/en/businesses/taxes-businesses/value-added-tax/rights-and-

obligations-of-fore

CONTACT INFORMATION

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Contact information

The content of this publication was created by the Italian-Slovak Chamber of Commerce. For more

information contact:

Italian – Slovak Chamber of Commerce

Michalska 7, 81101 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

www.camit.sk

Tel: +421 (2) 541 31 290

project@camitslovakia.sk