tag: tax planning

Most of Hungary’s family-owned small and medium-sized enterprises are made up of a single business, typically a limited liability company (Kft.), but in the higher echelons of the SME sector they tend to operate as groups comprised of several companies. How are these company groups formed and what is the rationale behind them? When should you start to establish a company group?

The September amendment to the KATA Act has fundamentally restricted this form of taxation. According to current estimates, only 100,000 of the 460,000 KATA-paying entrepreneurs will continue to be able to stay in the system, the rest will be squeezed out. Meanwhile, the amendment affects not only those subject to KATA, but also those who employ them. Below is a hand-picked selection of these effects.

Because of its wealth protection features and favourable tax environment, trusts have become one of the most popular tools for family wealth planning. However, it matters what assets the settlor places in the trust– a mistake could easily undermine the favourable tax treatment of the trust.

More and more people are earning money online as bloggers, vloggers or influencers. Through social media, you can reach millions with a well-targeted message, and this can result in a substantial income. These incomes are subject to tax – but it’s important to think about how to pay it.

Holding companies and other so-called "letterbox companies", which mainly collect passive income without a real economic presence, have been in the crosshairs of the European Union for quite some time. The draft directive published by the European Commission on 22 December as a kind of Christmas present could complete this process.

Tax-efficient forms of remuneration, serving at the same time, as a means of motivating management have never been more popular. And the range of options available for doing this has expanded this summer to include what’s known as a Special Employee Co-Ownership Program (“KMRP” in Hungarian), a vehicle that can be used for in certain situations that cannot be handled in the context of an Employee Part-ownership Program, MRP. In addition, KMRPs are an excellent vehicle for implementing management buyouts. 

Implementing private property investments using company assets is slowly becoming a national sport. While the approach seems tempting, it carries a lot of risk. And the tax authority, NAV, has this type of arrangement firmly in its sights.

For many, the summer months bring to mind sunny beaches, mouth-watering Mediterranean cuisine, colourful buildings along Portuguese streets, and cities that offer memorable cultural experiences... Yet few are aware that, beyond drawing in tourists, because of their tax systems, popular holiday resorts are also attractive destinations for affluent, well-to-do foreigners - often for periods of time longer than that of a mere summer adventure.