Serbia asks for two big annual filings from every company. The financial statements go to the Serbian Business Registers Agency (APR) at the end of March, and the corporate income tax return follows within 180 days of year-end. Around them sit monthly advance tax payments, monthly VAT and payroll returns, a beneficial owner register and rules on foreign loans. A foreign-owned subsidiary has the same duties as a locally owned company.

This guide covers the limited liability company (društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću, d.o.o.), the usual vehicle for foreign investors, and notes where the joint-stock company (a.d.) and a branch differ. It is written for founders and for legal, finance and operations teams.

Updated November 9, 2026. Serbian filing dates are set in several laws and secondary sources do not always agree, so this guide separates the standard rules from dates quoted for the current year and tells you where to confirm them with APR and the Tax Administration.

Entity compliance Serbia: the quick answer

• Submit the annual financial statements to APR electronically by 31 March of the following year, according to professional sources.

• File the annual corporate income tax return (the tax balance and return) within 180 days of year-end, which is 30 June for a calendar-year company, and pay any balance by the same date.

• Pay monthly advance corporate tax during the year, file VAT and payroll returns each month, and keep beneficial owner data current in the central register.

• Audited companies file the statements with the auditor's report, and one source gives 31 July for that audited set, so confirm the date for your size category.

What determines a Serbian company's compliance requirements?

Size decides the audit and the form of the statements. Companies classified as large and medium must have their statements audited, and so must smaller companies above a revenue threshold, which one source places at EUR 4.4 million in annual turnover. Micro and small companies can use simplified statements. Serbia uses IFRS for larger entities and a local framework for smaller ones.

Tax profile matters too. The corporate income tax rate is a flat 15 percent, with no municipal surcharge, according to professional sources. Branches pay the same rate. Taxable profit starts from the accounting result and is adjusted on the tax balance, and the tax authority checks that the return agrees with the filed statements.

Annual entity requirements in Serbia: the core checklist

1. Annual financial statements

The statements consist of a balance sheet, an income statement and notes, and larger companies add cash flow and equity statements. They are submitted through the APR portal with a qualified electronic signature, and professional sources report no filing fee for the standard submission. The deadline is 31 March for a calendar-year company. A late or missing filing can bring fines and, over time, a place on the APR list of non-compliant entities.

2. Shareholder approval

The members approve the statements and decide on profit within the period set by the Companies Law, which should be early enough to support the filings. Keep the minutes and the approval record, because banks and tax inspectors ask for them. Dividends follow the approval and carry withholding tax for non-residents, subject to treaty relief.

3. Corporate income tax return

The return, with the tax balance, is filed electronically through the Tax Administration's portal within 180 days after the end of the tax period. For calendar-year taxpayers that is 30 June, and professional sources confirm 30 June 2026 for the 2025 year. Companies pay monthly advance tax based on the prior year's liability, and the return reconciles the total. A new company files an initial advance return within 15 days of registration, according to one adviser.

4. Transfer pricing and related parties

Transactions with related parties, using a 25 percent ownership threshold, must be at arm's length. Taxpayers submit transfer pricing documentation with the annual return, according to professional sources. Interest, management fees and royalties to a foreign parent need contracts and benchmarks.

5. Beneficial owners

Serbian companies register their beneficial owners in the central register kept by APR. Professional sources describe an update after a change within a short period and a periodic confirmation, with one source citing 30 days, so confirm the current period. Keep the shareholder records and the register aligned.

Tax and indirect tax obligations

The standard VAT rate is 20 percent, with a reduced rate of 10 percent for certain goods. VAT registration becomes mandatory when turnover over the previous 12 months exceeds RSD 8 million, and voluntary registration is possible below it, according to professional sources. Monthly filers submit the VAT return and the review form by the 15th of the following month, and quarterly filing exists for smaller taxpayers.

Employers file monthly payroll tax and contribution returns, generally by the 15th of the following month, and pay withholding on salaries. Payments to non-residents, such as dividends, interest and royalties, can attract withholding tax at domestic rates, with relief under treaties when residence documents are in order.

Foreign-owned subsidiaries

Foreign persons can own Serbian companies on the same basis as locals. A d.o.o. needs at least one member, a director, a registered office in Serbia and a modest minimum capital. Foreign corporate members provide apostilled or legalised documents with certified translations, and foreign individuals obtain a Serbian tax identification number through the registration process.

Loans from a foreign parent must follow the rules on credit transactions with non-residents, and professional sources note that foreign loans must be registered with the central bank. Payments abroad need supporting documents, so keep contracts and invoices with every cross-border transfer.

First-year and event-triggered obligations

In the first year, the company is registered with APR, receives its tax number, registers for VAT if required, registers employees with the pension and health funds, opens a bank account and files the initial advance tax return. The first financial year runs from registration to the year-end.

Events that trigger filings include a change of director, a change of members, a capital change, a change of registered office, a change of activity code, a merger and a liquidation. Most are registered with APR within a short period, and ownership changes also update the beneficial owner register. Liquidation and bankruptcy have shorter tax return deadlines than the standard 180 days.

Employment and local requirements

Serbian employers register employees before work starts, conclude written contracts, pay social contributions and withhold personal income tax. Employees have at least 20 working days of annual leave, notice rights tied to the reason for termination and protection against unfair dismissal. Many foreign-owned subsidiaries use a local payroll provider and an accountant licensed locally.

Record-keeping and governance in Serbia

The Accounting Law requires companies to keep books and supporting documents for set periods, and professional sources commonly place them at five years for most records and longer for financial statements and payroll records, so ask your accountant for the schedule. Keep the signed statements, the member resolutions, the tax balance, the transfer pricing file and the filing confirmations. A foreign parent should name one person to follow the March and June dates, since both fall in a busy quarter.

Build a compliance calendar for Serbia

A compliance calendar turns the rules above into dated tasks with named owners. Start from the financial year-end and the incorporation anniversary, then add the recurring monthly and quarterly items. Review it each quarter, because deadlines, extensions and registry systems change.

• January to March: close the books, brief the auditor and prepare the statements.

• By 31 March: submit the financial statements to APR.

• By the 15th of each month: file VAT and payroll returns and pay advance corporate tax.

• By 30 June: file the corporate income tax return and tax balance and pay any balance.

• By the audited-filing date, reported as 31 July: file audited statements with the auditor's report.

• After any change: update APR and the beneficial owner register.

Common mistakes

• Missing the 31 March statements date and the 30 June tax date.

• Forgetting monthly advance corporate tax payments.

• Skipping transfer pricing documentation for related-party transactions.

• Not registering a foreign parent loan with the central bank.

• Letting the beneficial owner register fall out of date.

• Assuming the audited filing date matches the unaudited date.

Entity compliance Serbia: frequently asked questions

When are Serbian financial statements due?

By 31 March of the following year, filed with APR, according to professional sources.

When is the corporate income tax return due?

Within 180 days of year-end, which is 30 June for calendar-year companies.

What is the corporate income tax rate?

A flat 15 percent, according to professional sources.

What is the VAT rate?

The standard rate is 20 percent, with VAT registration mandatory above RSD 8 million of turnover.

Is an audit required?

For large and medium companies and for smaller ones above a turnover threshold, according to professional sources.

Can foreign companies own a Serbian d.o.o.?

Yes. Foreign persons can hold a d.o.o. on the same basis as local owners.

How CoverPin can help

CoverPin helps finance, legal and operations teams track entity obligations across countries. See our international entities overview, learn about compliance advisory, or browse more guides in our legal and compliance resources.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or a qualified local adviser before acting.