Freelancers in Serbia will now have their own dedicated online platform! The new portal, called “Frilenseri,” will allow freelancers to report their income quickly and easily as self-employed individuals, benefit from favorable tax treatment, and fulfill their obligations while gaining access to pension and health insurance. During July, freelancers in Serbia are required to submit their tax returns for the first two quarters of this year.
The portal offers a range of useful tools for existing and potential freelancers, including a self-assessment test to determine eligibility, a tax liability calculator to choose between two tax options and a guide with answers to frequently asked questions. It is estimated that initially, up to 100,000 freelancers who generate income by working for individuals or entities within Serbia or abroad will use the portal.
The new self-assessment tax model for freelancers is the result of one year of work and negotiations between the Ministry of Finance, the Tax Administration, the Office of the Prime Minister, and representatives of freelancer associations. The development of the portal was supported through the StarTech innovation promotion project.
Collaboration with freelancers within working groups was crucial in finding the best solution to regulate the rights and obligations of freelancers in Serbia, which led to the creation of this portal. This solution is tailored to accommodate both occasional and full-time freelancers.
Also, Belgrade was previously ranked among the top 10 destinations for digital nomads, and he believes that the new freelancer tax model will encourage even more digital nomads to come.
When submitting their tax returns on the new portal, freelancers will enter the total amount of income earned in the quarter, indicate whether they have health insurance based on another basis, and finally choose one of two self-assessment tax models. After submitting the application, they will receive a payment slip with a QR code for quick payment. On the portal, they will be able to keep records of all payments and easily transfer them to the tax return with a single click at the end of the quarter.
“Further steps are planned to make this reform more comprehensive and the portal more advanced and useful. The future includes training for public officials and freelancers, the development of a non-timely tax return, generating and populating a database of questions and answers through a contact form, and monitoring and reporting on the portal’s usage. We also suggest integrating the Frilenseri portal with the website of the Central Registry of Mandatory Social Insurance and developing an English version of the portal since non-residents can also be freelancers,” according to the Prime Minister’s office.
The event brought together all interested freelancer associations, individuals who hire freelancers, and institutions involved in the reform, including the Office of the Prime Minister of Serbia, the Ministry of Finance, the Tax Administration, the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veterans’ Affairs, and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health, CROSO, and social security funds.
