Tax Newsletter - Archive
Mazars Tax View - archive of tax articles
Change in the Taxation of Employee Stock and Option Plans
On 1 January 2024, an amendment to the Income Tax Act came into effect, significantly adjusting taxable moment of income from employee stock and option plans. The amendment brings a variety of interpretative and practical uncertainties, among which stands out the different treatment in the tax area comparing to legislative regulation of social and health insurance contributions.
Methodological Information on the Taxation of Employee Benefits
The General Financial Directorate (GFD) has issued methodological information on the taxation of employee benefits, as modified by the consolidation package effective from January 1, 2024.
Long-Term Investment Product
As part of the amendment to the law on investment on capital market and the associated amendment to the income tax law, a new product for saving for old age, a long-term investment product (hereinafter as "LTIP"), has been introduced. It is intended to function as an alternative to old age saving products that are already tax supported, such as products in the third pension pillar (pension insurance and supplementary pension savings) and life insurance.
Changes to the Intrastat Reporting
As of 1 January 2024, there have been several changes in the reporting of movements of goods between EU Member States and the Czech Republic. We provide a brief overview of these changes.
Interpretation of the General Financial Directorate on Changes in VAT Rates
The General Financial Directorate (hereinafter as ‚GFD‘) issued the expected methodological information on VAT rates changes from 1 January 2024 (hereinafter as ‚the Information’) on 12 January 2024. The aim of the Information was to eliminate interpretive ambiguities, even though a number of areas remain unclarified. Our comments on selected topics are mentioned below.
Introduction to Top-Up Taxes
In December of last year, the Czech Republic completed the implementation of the EU directive aimed at ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for multinational groups of companies and large domestic groups within the EU. It essentially introduced new taxes on profits, namely top-up taxes, and thereby new tax obligations for selected taxpayers.
SAC confirmed it is possible to claim higher tax credit from investment incentives in supplementary tax return
In a ruling from November of this year, the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) confirmed that recipients of investment incentives can claim a higher tax credit when filing supplementary tax return, in which the tax base is increased. This approves the opinion of a part of the professional community, which has been questioned by tax authorities in some cases in recent years.
The Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) ruling on the deadline for filing a supplementary tax return for a lower tax
Recently, the so-called extended panel of judges of the SAC ruled on the correct application of the deadline for filing a supplementary tax return for a lower tax. This new decision finally brought clarity to the uncertainty that accompanied the filing of supplementary tax returns for a lower tax in many cases.
The tax reliefs for mineralogical and metallurgical processes from the perspective of excise and energy taxes will be abolished
As of January 2024, the excise duty refund on mineral oils consumed in mineralogical and metallurgical processes will be completely abolished. At the same time, the exemption of gas, electricity and solid fuels from energy tax due their usage in these processes will be abolished. All changes are part of the so-called consolidation package. In some cases, the tax advantage will be maintained, at least partially, through another tax institute.
Amendment to the Accounting Act - functional currency
The Bill amending certain laws in relation to the consolidation of public budgets (the so-called consolidation package) was approved by the Senate on 8 November 2023 and signed by the President on 22 November 2023. This consolidation package includes an amendment to the Accounting Act, which allows accounting entities to set an accounting currency different from the Czech koruna, the so-called functional currency, effective 1 January 2024.