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.