July 2024: Bringing VAT Act into line with EU VAT Directive and recent ECJ rulings
The Slovakian Ministry of Finance has published a number of simplifications and other changes to the VAT Act. These are largely aimed as simplifying compliance, and bringing Slovakian VAT requirements into line with the VAT Directive. The become effective between July 2024 and January 2026.
See more form our Slovakian VAT guide.
- Launching of a special scheme for small enterprises: In various EU countries, a special VAT scheme tailored for small businesses has been implemented. This scheme aims to simplify VAT compliance for businesses with lower turnover, often allowing for reduced reporting requirements and simplified invoicing procedures.
- Updates in VAT registration and VAT deregistration for established and non-established taxable persons, including adjustments to the deadlines for filing VAT reports and issuing invoices: Across the EU, alterations to VAT registration and deregistration processes have been introduced. These changes impact both locally established businesses and those operating within the EU but not established in the respective country. Deadlines for submitting VAT reports and issuing invoices have also been modified to streamline compliance.
- Updates in late VAT registration and related reporting: Many EU countries have revised their rules regarding late VAT registration and the associated reporting requirements. These changes are designed to enhance tax administration and ensure timelier compliance.
- Implementation of a reverse-charge mechanism for imported goods (subject to specific conditions): In several EU member states, a reverse-charge mechanism has been introduced for imported goods under certain conditions. This mechanism shifts the responsibility for reporting and remitting VAT from the supplier to the recipient of the imported goods.
- Updates of the place of supply for services in the case of virtual events: Some EU countries have amended the rules governing the place of supply for services related to virtual events, aligning them with evolving business practices in the digital realm.
- Option of the possibility to claim input VAT deduction from Intra-Community acquisitions of goods based on documents other than invoices: In various EU nations, businesses now have the option to claim input VAT deduction for Intra-Community acquisitions of goods using documents other than traditional invoices, simplifying the process for eligible transactions.
- Cut of the threshold for issuing simplified invoices (from €1,000 to €400): Many EU countries have lowered the threshold for which businesses are permitted to issue simplified invoices. This change allows for greater flexibility in invoicing for smaller transactions, reducing administrative burdens.
Slovak Republic VAT country guide
| Highlights | Local term | Daň z pridanej hodnoty (DPH) |
| VAT Rates - standard | 20% | |
| Rates news | 3% VAT rise in 2025 | |
| VAT Rates - reduced | 10%; 0% | |
| VAT number format | SK 1234567890 | |
| Registration threshold | €49,790. Nil for non-residents; €10,000 for pan-EU digital services and goods OSS return. Intra-community acquisitions €14,000. | |
| VAT Group | Permitted | |
| VAT recovery foreign businesses | Permitted, but non-EU businesses need reciprocity | |
| Fiscal Representative | Not required except for non-residents with certain import cases | |
| Currency | Euro €, January 2009 | |
| Administration | Introduction | The Slovak Republic introduce VAT in January 1993. It joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 |
| VAT laws | Slovak Act No. 222/2004. Daňový poriadok (Act No. 563/2009 on Administration of Taxes (Tax Procedural Code). Also EU VAT Directive which takes supremacy as part of EU membership | |
| Tax Authorities | Finančné riaditeľstvo SR (Financial Directorate of the Slovak Republic). Non-residents deal with Bratislava office | |
| VAT Rates | Standard rate | 20% |
| Rates news | 3% VAT rise in 2025 | |
| Reduced rates | 10%: books and newspapers; accommodation; certain foodstuffs; medicines; 0% | |
| Zero-rated | Intra-community passenger travel by air and sea; Exports and intra-community supplies of goods; gold to central banks; services related to vessels and aircraft | |
| Exempt | Education; financial services; health, hospital, and social welfare; public postal; letting immovable property; betting and gambling; welfare services; international passenger transport; certain copyrights | |
| Scope of VAT | Scope of VAT | Provision of domestic taxable goods and services; EU imports; intra-community acquisitions; Distance selling of goods B2C (OSS or IOSS); receipt of services or goods via the reverse charge |
| Time of supply | Goods & Services (general rule) | The earlier of supply of goods (delivery, control) services (provision) or payment. Services' tax point after three months if not invoice raised. Prepayment follow the general rule, and thus create a tax point with VAT liability |
| Reverse Charge | General rule applies, so provision of supply becomes the tax point. | |
| Continuous Services | Based on time of payment for goods or services. If this stretches of twelve month period, then the last working day of the twelve months. | |
| Imports | At the time of clearance into the Slovak Republic after Customs | |
| Goods on approval and return | As per general rule, when customer accepts goods and under their control | |
| Registration | VAT registration threshold | €49,790. Nil for non-residents; €10,000 for pan-EU digital services and goods OSS return. Intra-community acquisitions €14,000. |
| Voluntary VAT registration | Permitted for residents only | |
| VAT number format | SK 1234567890 | |
| VAT Group | Two or more taxable persons connected by management, shareholding or economic objectives may form a VAT group. They must be resident. Holding companies with no taxable activities or non-residents are excluded. Group members adopt a single VAT number, with a single consolidated return completed by the nominated representative member. Intra-group transactions are exempted from VAT. | |
| Non-residents | Permitted. No Fiscal Representative required. | |
| Fiscal Representative | Not required. Non-residents without a VAT number may do so via a resident Fiscal Representative where there is an onward intra-community supply. | |
| Digital Services | The Slovak Republic participates in the EU single One Stop Shop (OSS) VAT return for digital, telecoms and broadcast services. This was formerly the MOSS regime until 30 June 2021 | |
| Pre VAT registration costs | Permitted for business related goods or services purchased in the year of VAT registration or the calendar year before. | |
| VAT Invoices | Issuance | Within 15 days of tax point. Or by 15th of the month following intra-community supplies or reverse charge. Invoices not required for B2C transactions. |
| Content | Date; unique sequential invoice number; name and address of supplier and customer; Customer VAT number for intra-community supplies or reverse charge; date of supply or advance payment if different from invoice date; Description, quantity or units etc of supply of goods or services; price per unit; taxable amount; VAT charged; rate (broken out if supplies at different rates); total; explanation if zero-rated supply. | |
| E-invoices | Pre-clearance e-invoicing proposals | |
| Simplified invoices | Permitted for transactions not exceeding €100. For retail where online VAT cash register used (see separate), permitted if transaction does not exceed €1,000 (€1,600 if non-cash e.g. credit card). Not permitted for intra-community supplies. Details of customer and breakout of VAT not required. | |
| Self-billing | Permitted by mutual written agreement between the supplier and customer. Details of how the supplier will agree to the invoice must be specified in the agreement. | |
| Retention of invoices | Ten years. Paper invoices may be digitised. Invoices and records may only be maintained outside of the Slovak Republic if permission sought from the tax office - which must be renewed each year. | |
| FX rules | Other currencies may be used, but must show VAT due in €. Should use ECB or Slovak Central Bank rate at tax point date. Alternatively, may follow customs rates if tax authorities are notified. | |
| Invoice corrections | Credit notes with reduced disclosures may be used. Must refer to original invoice number and reason for adjustment. May follow the simplification invoice requirements. | |
| Compliance | Right to deduct | Excluded: Restaurant, catering and entertainment for business purposes |
| Call-off stock | Following the EU's 2020 Quick Fix harmonisation reforms, stock may be transferred from an EU state to an customer location/warehouse in the Slovak Republic without triggering a VAT registration and supply for a non-Slovak supplier. Title has not passed until the customer takes the goods for production and sale. At which time a zero-rated transaction may be effected. This must happen within 12 months of the original movement | |
| Reverse Charge - B2B | In addition to cross-border B2B services being subject to the RC, the following are in Slovak Republic: goods and services provided by non-resident if the customer is resident and VAT registered (even if supplier is VAT registered); domestic RC on natural gas and electricity; scrap metal; CO2 emissions; certain commodity grains and similar crops; iron and steel; mobile phones, computer chips and other high-value goods when invoice exceeds €5,000; and construction works. | |
| Cash discounts | Discounts taken-up at time of invoicing should be reflected in invoice. If taken-up afterwards, and adjusting credit note should be used. | |
| Bad debt relief | New bad debt relief rules | |
| Import VAT deferment | Import VAT deferment from 2024 | |
| VAT warehouse | There is no VAT warehouse facility in Slovak Republic. Imports may enter bonded warehouse for trading prior to clearance into the country and the payment of customs or VAT. Certain transactions within a bonded warehouse are not exempt for VAT. | |
| Supply & install | A non-resident providing install for assets as a service should use the reverse charge if their customer is a resident VAT registered businesses. This switches the VAT reporting to the customer. | |
| Use and enjoyment services | The Slovak Republic has not introduced any of the use and enjoyment VAT options for services | |
| Capital goods adjustment period | Movable property: four years. Immovable property: 20 years | |
| Non-residents VAT recovery | EU businesses may apply for Slovak VAT reclaims through the electronic portal of the tax authorities of their company of residency (8th Directive). Quarterly claims above €400 permitted, with final claim above €50 by 30 Sept of following year. Non-EU businesses must submit a paper-reclaim with supporting invoices via the Slovak authorities directly (13th Directive). Slovak Republic does require a reciprocal agreement with the country of residence of the claimant. Non-EU businesses do not have to appoint an Slovak resident Fiscal Representative for the reclaim process | |
| VAT on Digital Services | The Slovak Republic follows the EU VAT on digital services regime, introduced in 2015. This includes participation in the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) single EU VAT return (formerly MOSS until 30 June 2021) | |
| Live events | ||
| Distance selling threshold for goods | Nil. Following the EU ecommerce VAT package reforms from 1 July 2021, local Slovak VAT must be charged on all sales by non-Slovakian EU e-commerce sellers shipping from within the EU. Imported distance sales not exceeding €150 liable to Slovak sales VAT with IOSS return option | |
| Cash accounting scheme | Permitted for businesses with an annual turnover not exceeding €100,000. | |
| VAT registered cash tills | Online cash registers - eKasa - linked to the tax office were introduced in 2008 | |
| Statute of limitations | Five years | |
| Other | N/a | |
| VAT Returns | Frequency | Monthly. Quarterly if annual turnover in prior year was below €100,000 |
| Filing method | Electronic | |
| Deadlines (inc payments) | Returns and any VAT payments are due by the 25th of the month following the reporting period. | |
| VAT credits | Refunded if not recoverable in return after the one where it first arouse. Tax payers on monthly returns with over twelve months good compliance record may receive refund immediately on submission of return subject to any audit. | |
| Corrections | Supplementary return in the month when the error is detected. | |
| Non-residents | Permitted following similar rules to residents. Fiscal representative not required for non-EU businesses | |
| Other filings | Monthly European Sales Listing for goods and services supplies without any threshold by 25th of month following. ESL's may be filed quarterly if reported values do not exceed €50,000 in prior four quarters. Intrastat monthly by the 15th of the following month for supply of goods above threshold: dispatches: €1 million; arrivals: €1 million. A Slovak monthly domestic VAT supplies 'Control Statement', including reverse charge transitions, must be submitted by 25th of the month following reporting month. This lists sales and purchases line-by-line for VAT. | |
| SAF-T | N/a | |
| Penalties & interest | Missed returns sliding fine scale: €30 to €16,000. Late interest charges on unpaid VAT is x4 bank prime rate, and at least 15%. For missdeclared VAT amounts, the fine is the higher of 10% or three times the prevailing prime rate. This may be reduced by voluntary disclosure prior or during a VAT audit. | |
| B2C Distance Selling returns | Slovakia participates in EU OSS scheme since July 2021 |
