ELI5 on taxes in Croatia please?

[tratatanga]

It's hard to find any reliable information in English. Thanks

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[SirJohnVonSlotty]

Try to be more specific with your questions, the topic is a bit broad

[FatFork]

@tratatanga, like SirJohn mentioned, a bit more detail in your question would be helpful. Are you curious about crypto taxes specifically?

In Croatia, there are no specific laws or regulations related solely to the taxation of cryptocurrencies. However, there are regulations within the EU, of which Croatia is a member, that apply. In short, cryptocurrencies constitute a form of digital property in Croatia. This means that all gains or losses from buying, selling, or trading digital assets are subject to a capital gains tax of 10%. There is also a local surtax depending on your place of residence.

For example, if you bought cryptocurrencies worth €500.00 and later sold them all for €1,000.00, you are required to report and pay capital gains tax which is calculated as the difference between the purchase and sale price, which means: (1,000-500)*10% = €50 (plus surtax).

There are some exceptions to capital gains tax, such as owning the property for more than two years. However, this exemption does not apply to other taxes you may owe depending on how you acquired the property, such as additional income tax.

[tratatanga]

@tratatanga, like SirJohn mentioned, a bit more detail in your question would be helpful. Are you curious about crypto taxes specifically?

In Croatia, there are no specific laws or regulations related solely to the taxation of cryptocurrencies. However, there are regulations within the EU, of which Croatia is a member, that apply. In short, cryptocurrencies constitute a form of digital property in Croatia. This means that all gains or losses from buying, selling, or trading digital assets are subject to a capital gains tax of 10%. There is also a local surtax depending on your place of residence.

For example, if you bought cryptocurrencies worth €500.00 and later sold them all for €1,000.00, you are required to report and pay capital gains tax which is calculated as the difference between the purchase and sale price, which means: (1,000-500)*10% = €50 (plus surtax).

There are some exceptions to capital gains tax, such as owning the property for more than two years. However, this exemption does not apply to other taxes you may owe depending on how you acquired the property, such as additional income tax.

Well, I'm not sure how more specific I can be? But okay, I'll try. Basically, I don't have any other property, stocks, assets, nothing except for crypto. I am looking for a country to move to, to pay least amount of tax. I was reading here https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-on-taxation-of-crypto-assets/croatia that you pay 12% on crypto-to-fiat transactions, and 0% if you hold for 2+ years. Is this not true for crypto? That's not the only place that mentions this sort of taxation.

[SirJohnVonSlotty]

Well, I'm not sure how more specific I can be?

My mistake, you're right, the title is more than enough to figure out your position and the exact tax model to implement.

Question: ELI5 on taxes in Croatia
ELI5 Answer: Yes, Taxes in Croatia.

Hope I've helped.

[slackovic]

Well, I'm not sure how more specific I can be? But okay, I'll try. Basically, I don't have any other property, stocks, assets, nothing except for crypto. I am looking for a country to move to, to pay least amount of tax. I was reading here https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-on-taxation-of-crypto-assets/croatia that you pay 12% on crypto-to-fiat transactions, and 0% if you hold for 2+ years. Is this not true for crypto? That's not the only place that mentions this sort of taxation.

Well, that what you are saying (12% tax on crypto-to-fiat and 0% tax for a two year hold) is true. But (and that's a big BUT) the problem is not paying the taxes. The biggest problem (at least for me, but I think for a lot of people) is what to do when Croatian IRS asks for FIFO list. I don't have it and I have no idea on how to do it. I tried several times, but there is no way to list all transactions that I made in the past few years.

And there are other countries that have 0% tax on crypto. I don't know any out of my head, but if you plan to move to a country I'm sure there is no problem to do the research.

[Rikafip]

I was reading here https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-on-taxation-of-crypto-assets/croatia that you pay 12% on crypto-to-fiat transactions, and 0% if you hold for 2+ years. Is this not true for crypto?

Its true, but I guess that article is a little bit older as current tax for crypto has been lowered from 12 to 10% and there is also a surtax (which can also be 0%) and yes, if you hold for more than 2 years you don't have to pay taxes at all.

And there are other countries that have 0% tax on crypto

Germany comes to my mind as there you have to hold crypto only for 1 year in order to avoid paying tax. Then again, I have no idea how complicated their laws are.

[slackovic]

I was reading here https://cms.law/en/int/expert-guides/cms-expert-guide-on-taxation-of-crypto-assets/croatia that you pay 12% on crypto-to-fiat transactions, and 0% if you hold for 2+ years. Is this not true for crypto?

Its true, but I guess that article is a little bit older as current tax for crypto has been lowered from 12 to 10% and there is also a surtax (which can also be 0%) and yes, if you hold for more than 2 years you don't have to pay taxes at all.

If by surtax you mean "prirez", there is no such thing in Croatia after 1.1.2024. At least that's what I heard of. Croatian government decided to remove surtax, but some cities like Zagreb increased their taxes to overcome less money flowing into their account.

And there are other countries that have 0% tax on crypto

Germany comes to my mind as there you have to hold crypto only for 1 year in order to avoid paying tax. Then again, I have no idea how complicated their laws are.

Yeah, Germany is 0% tax after holding crypto for one year. But I think that there are countries where you don't have to pay tax no matter how long or short you have held your crypto. I just googled a little bit and found this list: https://tokentax.co/blog/crypto-tax-free-countries. I didn't confirm what they are saying on that website.

[tratatanga]

Germany comes to my mind as there you have to hold crypto only for 1 year in order to avoid paying tax. Then again, I have no idea how complicated their laws are.

The problem with Germany is that it's very hard to find an apartment there - some people search for months and longer, and those apartments come unfurnished. I would ideally like to move without such hassle, sell the crypto, live for a few years and leave.
There is also Slovenia, but there I am currently finding it hard to find a tax advisor or just about any confirmation about how it works. I don't want to be deemed a professional trader and be on hook for higher taxes just because I have used my non-custodial wallet extensively (and earned from it)
How is real estate market in Croatia? Could you advise on the best city to rent? As in, don't want to spend a month looking for an apartment in some touristy area...

[tratatanga]

Well, that what you are saying (12% tax on crypto-to-fiat and 0% tax for a two year hold) is true. But (and that's a big BUT) the problem is not paying the taxes. The biggest problem (at least for me, but I think for a lot of people) is what to do when Croatian IRS asks for FIFO list. I don't have it and I have no idea on how to do it. I tried several times, but there is no way to list all transactions that I made in the past few years.

I am imagining (at least in my case) all you need is to show all the purchases you've made (e.g. CEX transactions/bank transfers) and then all the sales (from CEX). I don't know of course if in Croatia they would want to see crypto-to-crypto too, or if you would be selling more than you had bought, but at least here in Poland that's how it's done

If by surtax you mean "prirez", there is no such thing in Croatia after 1.1.2024. At least that's what I heard of. Croatian government decided to remove surtax, but some cities like Zagreb increased their taxes to overcome less money flowing into their account.

Huh, I was only able to find information with this prirez. So you're saying that right now in Croatia you either pay 10% if you've held for less than 2 years, or you pay 0% if you've held for more? And that's it? No gotchas? What about crypto-to-crypto transactions?
Does anyone know of a tax advisor in Croatia that could help navigate this? In my case, I would be selling crypto for USDC (not taxed in Poland) and then moving to Croatia to withdraw fiat. Would I have to keep USDC for 2 years before I sold it for 0 tax?

[FatFork]

How is real estate market in Croatia? Could you advise on the best city to rent? As in, don't want to spend a month looking for an apartment in some touristy area...

The real estate market in Croatia has been on a hot streak lately.  Over the past few years, property values have been climbing thanks to Croatia's popularity as a tourist destination and EU membership drawing more people to live here.  The influx of demand without a matching supply of new housing has created an inventory pinch, putting upward pressure on prices. 

If you're hoping to get more bang for your buck, consider looking at rentals in smaller towns or villages or in continental part of the country (Pannonian Croatia) instead of along the coast or in the capital city.  For instance, you can likely find a fully furnished apartment for €400 or less per month in cities like Osijek.  Of course, it depends on your needs and priorities whether something further from the action makes sense.  but for the budget-conscious, broadening your search beyond the hot coastal markets could pay off.

[FatFork]

Does anyone know of a tax advisor in Croatia that could help navigate this?

You can ask Domchi. I'm not sure if he takes those kinds of gigs, but maybe he knows someone who does.

In my case, I would be selling crypto for USDC (not taxed in Poland) and then moving to Croatia to withdraw fiat. Would I have to keep USDC for 2 years before I sold it for 0 tax?

Crypto-to-crypto transactions are also a non-taxable event in Croatia (I think this includes stablecoins as well).

As for your case, here in Croatia, we have physical crypto exchanges (stores) where you can buy or sell cryptocurrencies in person. Up to a certain amount, typically up to 1000 EUR, in one go. You can do this without anyone asking for any personal information (no KYC, no AML, just an email address) and receive cash.  It's completely legal, but please note this is not tax advice.  


edit:
List and locations of physical crypto exchanges in Croatia: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5354996.msg58047013#msg58047013

[Rikafip]

The problem with Germany is that it's very hard to find an apartment there - some people search for months and longer, and those apartments come unfurnished. I would ideally like to move without such hassle, sell the crypto, live for a few years and leave.

I have close family members living in Germany and I don't remember them complaining about having a problem finding place to to live. Then again, they live in smaller cities so maybe that's the reason.

How is real estate market in Croatia? Could you advise on the best city to rent? As in, don't want to spend a month looking for an apartment in some touristy area...

Real estate situation ain't the best here as we don't have real estate tax (at least not yet, but my guess is that will change soon) so anyone with some extra money and brain is investing in those + add on the fact that we are a tourist country meaning it ain't cheap at all to rent either. At least not for our standard.

[Pmalek]

I have close family members living in Germany and I don't remember them complaining about having a problem finding place to to live. Then again, they live in smaller cities so maybe that's the reason.

U manjim gradovima i na selu je situacija drugačija nego u većim gradovima u Njemačkoj. U Štutgartu i Minhenu su stanovi i kirije skupi i velika je potražnja. Mislim da je Minhen najskuplji njemački grad za život a Štutgart je na drugom mjestu. Puno toga ide preko maklera i ljudi su spremni da plate dodatnu premiju sa strane da dobiju informaciju prije vremena. Nije neobično da stan recimo u ponedeljak bude ponuđen na tržištu za iznajmljivanje, ti ujutru odmah nazoveš a već neko uselio.

[Rikafip]

U manjim gradovima i na selu je situacija drugačija nego u većim gradovima u Njemačkoj. U Štutgartu i Minhenu su stanovi i kirije skupi i velika je potražnja. Mislim da je Minhen najskuplji njemački grad za život a Štutgart je na drugom mjestu. Puno toga ide preko maklera i ljudi su spremni da plate dodatnu premiju sa strane da dobiju informaciju prije vremena. Nije neobično da stan recimo u ponedeljak bude ponuđen na tržištu za iznajmljivanje, ti ujutru odmah nazoveš a već neko uselio.

Nije nista bolja situacija ni u Hrvatskoj, cak mislim da je i gora kad se uzme u obzir razlika u primanjima te opcenito ekonomska situacija. U Zagrebu je postalo skoro pa nemoguce iznajmiti pristojan stan na nekoj normalnoj lokaciji koja nije vukojebina ispod 700-800 eura.

Ako Bog da bitcoin napravi ono sto se svi nadamo da hoce, s gustom odoh zivjeti na selo a u gradu nek zivi ko mora raditi. 

[slackovic]

U manjim gradovima i na selu je situacija drugačija nego u većim gradovima u Njemačkoj. U Štutgartu i Minhenu su stanovi i kirije skupi i velika je potražnja. Mislim da je Minhen najskuplji njemački grad za život a Štutgart je na drugom mjestu. Puno toga ide preko maklera i ljudi su spremni da plate dodatnu premiju sa strane da dobiju informaciju prije vremena. Nije neobično da stan recimo u ponedeljak bude ponuđen na tržištu za iznajmljivanje, ti ujutru odmah nazoveš a već neko uselio.

Nije nista bolja situacija ni u Hrvatskoj, cak mislim da je i gora kad se uzme u obzir razlika u primanjima te opcenito ekonomska situacija. U Zagrebu je postalo skoro pa nemoguce iznajmiti pristojan stan na nekoj normalnoj lokaciji koja nije vukojebina ispod 700-800 eura.

Ako Bog da bitcoin napravi ono sto se svi nadamo da hoce, s gustom odoh zivjeti na selo a u gradu nek zivi ko mora raditi. 

Kao netko tko živi u kući, mogu samo reći da nikad ne bi volio živjeti u gradu poput Zagreba. Istina, nisam živio u Zagrebu ali općenito živite u stanu mi je grozno iskustvo koje sam iskusio tijekom studiranja. Ljubav prema životu u kući se samo povećala otkad sam dobio djecu koja uživaju u igranju na dvorištu, a ja ne moram brinuti hoće li ih negdje na cesti udariti auto.

A što se tiče najma, nije Zagreb jedini grad gdje je jako narasla cijena najma. Općenito je cijelo tržište nekretnina otišlo jako gore. Cijena zemljišta u Dalmaciji blizu mora je u 5 godina otišla 300% gore. Znam iz osobnog iskustva kakva je cijena bila prije 5 godina, a kakva je sad.

[dkbit98]

Ako Bog da bitcoin napravi ono sto se svi nadamo da hoce, s gustom odoh zivjeti na selo a u gradu nek zivi ko mora raditi.  

Kažu Goba StackerNews i Samson Mow da Bitcoin ide na $1M, a Davinci Jeremie za 2025 kaže Bitcoin na $200k.  
Moraš i na selu malo raditi, ali te ne mogu zajebavati i kontrolirati kao u gradu u nekoj narednoj plandemiji, a ako imaš bunar ili izvor onda imaš i bolju besplatnu vodu.
A da ne spominjem da zapravo možeš uzgajati vlastitu hranu na svojoj zemlji, to je postalo sci-fi za većinu ljudi u gradu.

[Rikafip]

a Davinci Jeremie za 2025 kaže Bitcoin na $200k.

Hah DaVinci, skroz sam zaboravio na njega. Nadam se da se opametio i prestao druziti sa onim prevarantom i shillerom MMCrypto. 

Moraš i na selu malo raditi, ali te ne mogu zajebavati i kontrolirati kao u gradu u nekoj narednoj plandemiji, a ako imaš bunar ili izvor onda imaš i bolju besplatnu vodu.
A da ne spominjem da zapravo možeš uzgajati vlastitu hranu na svojoj zemlji, to je postalo sci-fi za većinu ljudi u gradu.

To mi i je cilj, koliko tolika samodostatnost jer ce zivot u gradovima postajati sve gori, sve ono sto smo vidjali u distpijskim filmovima se polako pretvara u stvarnost. Balkan je "zaostao" pa se i tu kasni, ali ce svejedno doci i do nas tako da mislim da je svakako bolje na vrijeme otici na selo.

[tratatanga]

Nije nista bolja situacija ni u Hrvatskoj, cak mislim da je i gora kad se uzme u obzir razlika u primanjima te opcenito ekonomska situacija. U Zagrebu je postalo skoro pa nemoguce iznajmiti pristojan stan na nekoj normalnoj lokaciji koja nije vukojebina ispod 700-800 eura.

Ako Bog da bitcoin napravi ono sto se svi nadamo da hoce, s gustom odoh zivjeti na selo a u gradu nek zivi ko mora raditi. 

Is it similar in other places, e.g. Pula or Zadar, or is it even worse there as they're also touristy? I wouldn't mind renting something for 1000 EUR/month as long as I can skip paying the taxes on crypto. I just need some certainty which I don't know where to get. :/

[FatFork]

Is it similar in other places, e.g. Pula or Zadar, or is it even worse there as they're also touristy? I wouldn't mind renting something for 1000 EUR/month as long as I can skip paying the taxes on crypto. I just need some certainty which I don't know where to get. :/

For 1000 EUR/month, you can get a good-looking, 2-room apartment (at least) 60 m2 or more in all cities in Croatia, including tourist destinations (except maybe Dubrovnik). It all depends on what you're looking for. It is generally worth avoiding urban centers and attractive locations, and looking for quieter, residential neighborhoods to find the best deals. You might even find smaller houses with gardens in these areas for the same price. Since you likely won't be working here, a daily commute won't be a factor.