Accounting for Foreign-Owned Companies and Representative Offices in Serbia
A company in Serbia with an owner in Berlin, Moscow or Dubai is completely normal today. But accounting for foreign-owned companies, representative offices and branches carries a layer of obligations domestic companies do not have: group reporting, related-party transactions, withholding tax and communication in several languages. Here is what that looks like in practice.
What is specific
- Transactions with the parent and related parties. Intra-group loans, services and fees have special tax treatment and require clean documentation, including transfer pricing rules.
- Withholding tax. Payments to the parent or other non-residents, from dividends to service fees, often carry withholding tax, with treaty relief available under double taxation treaties when properly documented.
- Group reporting. Monthly and quarterly reports on group deadlines, usually in the group format, in English.
- A non-resident director or owner. Signing, bank access and tax status are arranged in advance, not when urgently needed.
What we cover
- complete bookkeeping with reports in Serbian, English or Russian, in the format your group requires;
- tax consulting: structuring payments to the parent, withholding tax, applying double taxation treaties;
- payroll for the local team and support with posted workers;
- support with incorporation: see our guides for foreign owners and investors.
Communication without a translator
The owner does not need to learn Serbian to know what is happening with the company. We work in Serbian, English and Russian: reports, meetings and day-to-day correspondence run directly, with nothing lost in translation.
Your Serbian company in safe hands
Whether you are incorporating, opening a representative office or taking over existing books, book a conversation or send us a message. The first conversation is free and can be held in the language the owner prefers.
