The topic of annual tax returns becomes a hot one in the public eye between late February and mid-March in Latvia. Whereas the State Revenue Service (SRS) works to strengthen its IT systems by implementing queues to ensure a smooth operation of its Electronic Declaration System on the first day of tax return submissions. Some taxpayers dive into the “lottery” as early as the end of February, while others either do not bother or are not in a rush to file their returns. Is it true that the outcome of filing an annual tax return depends on a person's luck or astrological sign?
In Latvia, medical costs are very high for many people, especially for patients with serious illnesses, and the state does not cover them in full. Employers can support their employees financially, but the existing regulation makes this financially disadvantageous. The bill, which is in its 3rd reading in Parliament (Saeima), proposes significant changes that could change this system and allow employers to cover medical costs without an additional tax burden. This article informs you about the expected changes and the consequences for employers and employees alike.
Crypto-asset trading is a popular source of income that not only attracts new investors but also brings economic benefits to the countries in which crypto-asset providers operate. In order to make Latvia an attractive location for international crypto-asset providers, the Ministry of Economy (“the Ministry”) has recently submitted a draft law that provides for the abolition of personal income tax (PIT) on non-residents' income from the sale of crypto-assets for several years. In this article about the draft law and its impact on the Latvian crypto-asset sector.
According to the law, married persons assume legal obligations and exercise their rights. For example, in the case of personal income tax (PIT), the money received from the spouse is not taxed. At present, people tend not to marry but to live in a joint household, even with children. Since such a relationship is by nature a marriage-like cohabitation, the question arises as to whether this PIT exemption could be extended to people living together unmarried. The Senate of the Republic of Latvia (Senate) has answered this question in one of the latest judgements (No. A420156821) discussed in this article.
On 1 January 2025, significant changes to the personal income tax (PIT) legislation came into force. Continuing our tradition, we have prepared an overview of the application of PIT, mandatory national social insurance contributions (MNSIC), and solidarity tax (ST) on salaries and wages in 2025.
As part of adopting the yearly national budget, Parliament passed several key tax amendments in their final reading on 4 December 2024, which are in force but will apply from 1 January 2025. In this article, we look at the most important changes affecting people and businesses, with changes to personal income tax (PIT) and other taxes.
October 27 was the last day of a public consultation on proposals the Ministry of Economy (MOE) has drawn up for amending the State Aid for Startup Operations Act. The proposals delete references to the de minimis aid rule and authorise the MOE to enter into participation agreements with organisations representing startups to simplify the process of awarding EUR 400,000 in state aid. This article explores what we see as key changes.
Following a lively public debate about revising the Latvian system of labour taxation to make it more competitive in the Baltic region, the Ministry of Finance has put together and on 26 September 2024 presented proposals for amending the Personal Income Tax (PIT) Act. The proposals make several changes to PIT treatment, affecting the rates, personal allowances and other core principles of tax treatment. This article explores key changes to labour taxation affecting taxpayers from next year.
On 9 September 2024 the State Revenue Service (SRS) reminded Latvian taxpayers about the opportunity to apply for an automatic refund of personal income tax (PIT) without filing the annual tax return (ATR). Persons wishing to receive into their bank account any PIT overpaid in the previous tax year are asked to apply for this service by 30 September 2024. In August 2024 the SRS added Smart-ID to the array of tools for signing in to the Electronic Declaration System (EDS), offering taxpayers an easier method of authentication.
The end of the summer saw the Supreme Court rule on cases concerning the tax treatment of income from various entertainment services. Just like income from live streaming of video games, winnings from participation in games of chance are high on the agenda when it comes to interpreting the relevant tax rules, which is causing disputes with the tax authority. One of these disputes involved the State Revenue Service (SRS) deciding to charge personal income tax (PIT) and late fees on an individual’s unreported winnings from a company organising games of chance. The taxpayer sued the tax authority, and his appeal eventually landed in the Supreme Court. This article continues our MindLink series on Supreme Court rulings concerning the tax treatment of income from recreational activities and looks at a recent Supreme Court ruling.
The State Revenue Service (SRS) has drawn up a plan for dealing with situations where individuals have not reported their income in full. This year the SRS has identified about 70,000 individuals with a difference of at least EUR 20,000 between their bank account turnover and reported income. In September the SRS plans to send out notices asking those individuals to review their income and report it in full. Sending such letters is not a new practice – the SRS has used them for several years to check that a person reports all taxable and non-taxable transactions. A letter arrives through the SRS’s electronic reporting system. The SRS has 30 days to wait for a response from the person giving reasons for the discrepancy or adjusting their annual tax return if they find the discrepancies between the bank account turnover and the tax return arise from unreported income.
The live streaming of video games has become a popular form of entertainment attracting millions of global viewers on streaming platforms. The creators of video game livestreaming often encourage viewers to make voluntary payments supporting the gamer, which in certain cases may be his only source of income. This income has attracted the attention of the State Revenue Service (SRS). Having examined a person’s activities of creating video game streams and receiving money from viewers, the SRS found an unregistered economic activity and charged personal income tax (PIT). The person challenged this decision, and the case ended up in the Latvian Supreme Court. This article explores the background to the case and the Supreme Court’s opinion on the PIT treatment of income received from viewers during the live streaming of video games.
Inheritance tax is payable by individuals that receive property or money from a testator. Rates and exemptions may vary from country to country according to the degree of relationship between heirs, the inherited value and other criteria. Latvia has not introduced inheritance tax. This article explores the Finance Ministry’s proposal for introducing inheritance tax in Latvia, as identified in the report ‘An assessment of the current workforce cost situation and proposals for future action’, a tax policy planning document.
The Constitutional Court (CC) ruled on 13 June 2024 that provisions of the Personal Income Tax (PIT) Act are consistent with section 105 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to property. The ruling was passed after the Administrative Regional Court and Riga City Court disputed the PIT Act’s provisions requiring payment of PIT on gambling and lottery winnings regardless of what the gambler has paid to play the game.
