CORPORATE · TAX · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026
VAT in Serbia for businesses (2026): rates, the VAT number (PIB), the 8 million RSD registration threshold, e-invoicing (SEF), non-resident rules, refunds — and what changes in 2027
Serbia's VAT (PDV) has two rates — 20% standard and 10% reduced — and a business must register once its turnover exceeds 8,000,000 RSD (about €68,000) in any 12 months, within five days of crossing the threshold. Serbia has no separate VAT number: a registered business uses its 9-digit tax identification number (PIB), and because Serbia is not in the EU, Serbian numbers cannot be checked in the EU's VIES system. Every B2B and B2G invoice between Serbian businesses has gone through the state e-invoicing system (SEF) since 2023, and input VAT can only be deducted on an accepted e-invoice. Returns and payment are due by the 15th day after each monthly or quarterly period. Foreign businesses that make taxable supplies in Serbia must register through a tax representative, unless their Serbian customers reverse-charge the VAT. The VAT Law was amended again in 2024, 2025 and 2026, with further changes from 1 January 2027.
VAT is where foreign-owned companies in Serbia most often go wrong in their first year — not because the rates are unusual, but because the system is electronic, strict and fast: five days to register, fifteen days to file, and no deduction without the right e-invoice. This guide, checked against the VAT Law as amended up to Official Gazette 80/2026 and current Tax Administration guidance, explains how Serbian VAT works for founders, foreign companies and freelancers, and where the traps are. It explains the system; the registration, the SEF set-up and the monthly filings are what our accounting and tax service handles.
VAT rates in Serbia in 2026
| Rate | Applies to (main examples) |
|---|---|
| 20% standard | Most goods and services, including professional services, software, most commercial real estate on first transfer, restaurants, cars |
| 10% reduced | Basic foods (bread, milk, flour, sugar, oils, fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, eggs), medicines, textbooks and newspapers, accommodation services, natural gas and heating, water supply, public transport, event tickets, and the first transfer of residential apartments and buildings |
| 0% with the right to deduct | Exports of goods and related transport and services, international transport, supplies into free zones |
| Exempt, no right to deduct | Banking, financial and insurance services, supply and rent of land, residential rent, resale of existing buildings (which pays 2.5% property transfer tax instead) |
Real estate is the case that surprises investors most: a new residential apartment bought from a developer carries 10% VAT (commercial premises 20%), while a resale apartment is outside VAT and pays 2.5% transfer tax. Citizens buying their first home can reclaim part of the VAT — see our guide to the first-apartment VAT refund.
When a business must register for VAT
Registration is mandatory once turnover exceeds 8,000,000 RSD in the previous 12 months — measured on a rolling basis, not per calendar year. Since the amendments that applied from 1 January 2025, the business must file for registration within five days of crossing the threshold, and VAT is owed from the moment it is crossed, whatever the date of registration. Businesses below the threshold can register voluntarily — usually because their customers are VAT-registered companies or because they want to reclaim input VAT on large start-up costs — but then stay in the system for a minimum period: two years under the current rules, changing to "the current and the following year" from 1 January 2027.
| Business | VAT position |
|---|---|
| New DOO with small turnover | Not required to register until turnover passes 8M RSD in 12 months; voluntary registration possible |
| Flat-rate entrepreneur (paušal) | Loses flat-rate (paušal) tax status once annual turnover passes 6M RSD, and must register for VAT once it passes 8M RSD in 12 months — the most common reason freelancers move to full bookkeeping or a DOO |
| DOO selling mainly to foreign clients | Services to foreign businesses are generally taxed where the client is, so turnover may not be Serbian-VAT-able — but registration can still pay off for input VAT |
| Foreign company with Serbian sales | Must register through a Serbian tax representative, regardless of turnover, unless its customers are VAT payers who reverse-charge |
| Foreign seller of digital services to Serbian consumers | Must register through a tax representative (rules in force since 2017) |
The type of business decides more than the rate does. A Serbian company (DOO) and a flat-rate entrepreneur reach the threshold in very different ways, and choosing between them is covered in our guide to starting a business in Serbia. VAT is only one of the taxes involved: corporate profit tax and the available reliefs are covered in our guide to business incentives, and salaries in our guide to hiring employees.
The Serbian VAT number: PIB
Serbia does not issue a separate VAT number. Every business receives a tax identification number (PIB) when it is registered — nine digits, the last of which is a check digit — and a VAT-registered business simply uses its PIB on invoices and returns. You will sometimes see it written with an "RS" prefix, but that is a convention rather than an official format. Because Serbia is not an EU member state, Serbian numbers do not appear in the EU's VIES validation system; a supplier's PIB and its VAT status are checked through the Tax Administration's public taxpayer search, and its company details through the Business Registers Agency (APR) — our APR services cover registrations and changes on the company side. Checking both before paying a first invoice to a new Serbian supplier is basic hygiene.
Filing and paying: periods and deadlines
New taxpayers and businesses with turnover above 50,000,000 RSD in the previous 12 months file monthly; others file quarterly. The return and the payment are due within 15 days after the end of each period, together with a detailed breakdown of the figures. Pre-filled returns generated from e-invoicing data were legislated for 2026 but postponed, and now start with periods from January 2027. The penalties are designed to hurt: for a company that does not file and does not pay, the fine under the Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration is 30–100% of the unpaid tax, with a minimum of 500,000 RSD, plus interest — and similar minimums apply to late registration and missing records.
E-invoicing: SEF and why it controls your input VAT
Serbia runs a clearance model: invoices between businesses do not exist for VAT purposes unless they pass through the state's electronic invoicing system (SEF). B2G e-invoicing has been mandatory since 2022 and B2B since 1 January 2023, including for foreign businesses registered through a representative. Since then, input VAT can only be deducted on an e-invoice the buyer has accepted in SEF. The system has kept expanding: VAT records are kept in SEF, periodic invoices moved in from 1 January 2026, and from 1 April 2026 internal invoices, self-billing, advance-payment invoices and credit and debit notes also run through it. Electronic delivery notes follow for the public sector and excise goods from 2026 and for all private B2B from October 2027. For a foreign-owned company, this is where a good accountant matters most — and where payroll and bookkeeping have to run on the same system: an invoice that is not accepted in time, or a credit note issued outside SEF, can cost the deduction.
Serbian VAT does not follow EU rules. There is no VIES, no EU reverse-charge on intra-EU supplies, no one-stop shop, and invoices do not count until they are in SEF. Founders who have run a company in Germany or the Netherlands often assume their existing processes will work — they usually need to be rebuilt for Serbia.
Foreign businesses and Serbian VAT
A foreign company that supplies goods or services in Serbia must register and appoint a tax representative — a Serbian VAT-registered resident without unpaid tax debts — whatever its turnover. The main exception is B2B: when the customer is a Serbian VAT payer or public body, the customer usually reverse-charges the VAT and the foreign supplier does not register. Services supplied to Serbian businesses from abroad are, as a general rule, taxed where the customer is established, which is why many foreign service companies never need a Serbian VAT registration at all — and why the moment you start selling to Serbian consumers, holding stock in Serbia or performing services on Serbian soil, the answer can change. Where cross-border structures, permanent-establishment risk or two tax systems are involved, our international tax advisory team reviews the whole picture.
Setting up in Serbia, or moving a business here?
Take the free two-minute Route Finder. It asks what you do, where your clients are and your plans for residence, and shows which structure and which route fit — before you register anything.
VAT refunds
| Who | How it works (2026) |
|---|---|
| Registered business with excess input VAT | Refund within 45 days of the return deadline, or 15 days for businesses whose exports exceed half of turnover; the excess can also be offset against other taxes |
| Foreign business not registered in Serbia | Can reclaim Serbian VAT paid on business costs if it makes no taxable supplies in Serbia, its country offers reciprocity, and the claim exceeds €200 — filed by 30 June of the following year |
| Serbian citizen buying a first home | Refund of the 10% VAT on up to 40 m² plus 15 m² per household member, for new builds bought from a VAT-registered developer |
What changed in 2025–2026, and what changes in 2027
Three amending laws in two years have reshaped Serbian VAT. The 2024 amendments (Official Gazette 94/2024, from 1 January 2025) introduced the five-day registration deadline and tighter credit-note rules. The 2025 amendments (109/2025) pushed more documents into SEF from April 2026 and allowed input VAT to be claimed within five years. The 2026 amendments (80/2026, published 31 August 2026) apply from 1 January 2027: a shorter minimum stay in the VAT system, five-day deadlines for deregistration and status changes, a final return within 15 days of stopping, returns filed by the Tax Administration itself when a taxpayer fails to file, and no more correcting earlier periods through the current return. Pre-filled returns also start in 2027. For a company with processes built on 2023 rules, 2027 is a year to review them.
Relocation Serbia has offices in Belgrade and Novi Sad, and our accounting team works with foreign founders in English, in person (by appointment) or by video call — the easiest way to keep registration, SEF and filings aligned with how your business actually trades.
Let a Serbian accountant own the VAT calendar.
We handle VAT registration when you cross the threshold, the SEF set-up, monthly or quarterly returns, e-invoices and refunds, in English, for foreign-owned companies and entrepreneurs in Serbia.
Common VAT mistakes foreign-owned businesses make in Serbia
- Missing the five-day registration deadline. VAT is owed from the day the threshold is crossed, registered or not.
- Accepting paper or PDF invoices from Serbian suppliers. Without an accepted SEF e-invoice there is no input VAT deduction.
- Looking for the supplier in VIES. Serbian numbers are checked with the Tax Administration and APR, not the EU system.
- Assuming EU reverse-charge rules apply. Serbian place-of-supply and reverse-charge rules are national and differ in detail.
- A flat-rate entrepreneur growing past 6M and 8M RSD without planning. Crossing the threshold changes the tax regime and the bookkeeping overnight.
- Running 2023 processes into 2027. The 2025 and 2026 amendments change deadlines, corrections and deregistration.
Frequently asked questions
What is the VAT rate in Serbia?
20% standard and 10% reduced. The reduced rate covers basic foods, medicines, textbooks, accommodation, utilities such as gas, heating and water, public transport and the first sale of residential apartments. Exports are zero-rated, and financial services, residential rent and land are exempt.
What is the VAT registration threshold in Serbia?
8,000,000 RSD (about €68,000) of turnover in the previous 12 months, measured on a rolling basis. Since 2025 a business must file for registration within five days of crossing it, and VAT is owed from that moment. Voluntary registration is possible below the threshold.
What does a Serbian VAT number look like?
Serbia has no separate VAT number: a VAT-registered business uses its 9-digit tax identification number (PIB), whose last digit is a check digit. It is sometimes written with an "RS" prefix by convention. Serbian numbers are not in the EU's VIES system.
How do I check a Serbian VAT number?
Through the Tax Administration's public taxpayer search, which shows whether a PIB is active and VAT-registered, and through the Business Registers Agency (APR) for company details. VIES does not cover Serbia.
Is e-invoicing mandatory in Serbia?
Yes. All B2G invoices since 2022 and all B2B invoices between Serbian VAT payers since 1 January 2023 must go through the state e-invoicing system (SEF), and input VAT can only be deducted on an accepted e-invoice. Since April 2026 internal invoices, advance invoices and credit notes also go through SEF.
Does a foreign company need to register for VAT in Serbia?
Only if it makes taxable supplies in Serbia that are not reverse-charged by a Serbian business customer — for example sales to Serbian consumers, including digital services. It then registers through a Serbian tax representative, regardless of turnover. Services to Serbian businesses are usually reverse-charged by the customer.
When are Serbian VAT returns due?
Within 15 days after the end of each tax period — monthly for new taxpayers and businesses above 50,000,000 RSD turnover, quarterly for the rest. Payment is due by the same date.
Can foreign businesses get a VAT refund in Serbia?
Yes, if they are not registered and make no taxable supplies in Serbia, their country offers reciprocity, and the claim exceeds €200. Claims for VAT paid in one year are filed by 30 June of the next.
Starting, moving or growing a business in Serbia?
Book a strategy call and we will look at your structure, whether and when VAT applies, and how registration, SEF and your filings should be set up from day one. Prefer to talk it through in person? Meet our team at our Belgrade or Novi Sad office (by appointment), or by video call.
Written by the Relocation Serbia team. Last reviewed: September 2026. General information, not tax advice; rates, thresholds and deadlines change and each business is assessed on its facts. Sources: Law on Value Added Tax (Official Gazette 84/2004 as amended, including 94/2024, 109/2025 and 80/2026) — rates (Arts. 23–25), small-taxpayer threshold, tax representative and reverse charge (Art. 10), refunds (Arts. 52–53, 56a); Rulebook on the Tax Identification Number; Law on Electronic Invoicing and the SEF system (efaktura.mfin.gov.rs); Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration (penalties, Art. 177); Tax Administration guidance on VAT refunds to non-residents; PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Serbia (reviewed August 2026); KPMG Serbia tax alerts (December 2024, December 2025, September 2026).