CIT

Estonian CIT, also known as a lump sum on corporate income, is an attractive taxation model, but not every entrepreneur can take advantage of it.One of the key requirements to qualify for Estonian CIT, is to meet certain employment conditions. The regulations require a company to have at least three full-time employees for at least 300 days in a tax year.

The Estonian CIT, or flat rate on corporate income, is a favorable form of taxation, but it comes with the concept of hidden profits, which can be problematic for entrepreneurs.Hidden profits are monetary or non-monetary benefits made to shareholders, partners or their affiliates. The regulations are designed to prevent the circumvention of dividend taxation thrugh various forms of transfers of value.

The Estonian CIT is an attractive form of taxation, but its use comes with certain restrictions on the company’s structure. Can a silent company benefit from this tax regime?

The introduction of the Estonian CIT and the family foundation under the “Polish Order” has opened up new tax optimization opportunities for entrepreneurs. Both of these forms have their unique advantages and disadvantages, which are worth considering before deciding on the right structure for your business.  

The legislature has exempted taxpayers from paying the minimum income tax for the period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2023. However, the exemption in question will cease to apply from January 1, 2024. Therefore, you should check whether the minimum income tax – in less than 3 months – will start to apply to you.  

As of January 1, 2024, the rules for taxing income from the redemption, repurchase, redemption or otherwise annihilation of equity fund units will change. Currently, tax on the disposal of equity fund participation titles is settled in a lump sum under Article 30a of the PIT Law. Learn more from the article.

On September 28, 2023. The Ministry of Finance published draft WHT clarifications (hereinafter: “Draft Clarifications”). The Draft Explanation focuses on the issue of the beneficial owner of receivables (“beneficial owner”). This is the second draft of the WHT clarifications, as the 2019 version of the previous document, due to numerous postponements of its entry into force and amendments to the said regulations, was not published as a final document.

Currently, the tax authorities take the position that the depreciability of premises or buildings is determined by the classification of the object as residential or commercial, and not by the actual use of the object for purposes other than residential.