Serbia: Serbia-San Marino DTA enters into force

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Serbia: Serbia-San Marino DTA enters into force

Sponsored by

Eurofast Serbia
AdobeStock_68581369_Serbia

Serbia and San Marino signed a double taxation agreement (DTA) on April 16 2018, thus effectively resulting in the removal of San Marino from the Serbian list of countries with a preferential tax regime. The Law on Confirmation of the DTA was adopted by the Serbian Assembly on September 25 2018 and San Marino is expected to start the application of the DTA as of January 2019.

The DTA introduces the following principles and rates:

  • A maximum 5% withholding tax rate for dividends paid by a company to its shareholder company directly owning at least 25% of the capital of the company paying the dividends;

  • A maximum 10% withholding tax rate for the payment of dividends to shareholders owning less than 25% of company's capital;

  • Interest and royalties are generally taxable in the country of residence of the receiving company; but if taxed in the country of residence of the paying company the tax may not exceed 10%.

  • In cases when more than 50% of the value of the company (for the 365 days preceding a sale) is derived from real estate, the capital gains from the sale of shares over such a company may be taxable in the country of residence of the company being sold; and

  • In all other cases, the capital gains from sale of shares will be taxable in the seller's country of residence.

As a result of San Marino's removal from the preferential tax regime jurisdiction list, transactions between legal entities from Serbia and San Marino will no longer be subject to the 25% withholding tax rate.

We advise companies doing business with San Marino to carefully review existing practices and evaluate whether the new treaty will have an impact on their transactions. Our team is ready to answer your questions on how the agreement will simplify administrative procedures and tax burdens related to withholding tax and to provide custom guidance on ensuring compliance with the treaty.

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

If Trump continues to poke the world’s ‘middle powers’ with a stick, he shouldn’t be surprised when they retaliate
The Netherlands-based bank was described as an ‘exemplar of total transparency’; in other news, Kirkland & Ellis made a senior tax hire in Dallas
Zion Adeoye, a tax specialist, had been suspended from the African law firm since October over misconduct allegations
The deal establishes Ryan’s property tax presence in Scotland and expands its ability to serve clients with complex commercial property portfolios across the UK, the firm said
Trump announced he will cut tariffs after India agreed to stop buying Russian oil; in other news, more than 300 delegates gathered at the OECD to discuss VAT fraud prevention
Taxpayers should support the MAP process by sharing accurate information early on and maintaining open communication with the competent authorities, the OECD also said
The Fortune 150 energy multinational is among more than 12 companies participating in the initiative, which ‘helps tax teams put generative AI to work’
The ruling excludes vacation and business development days from service PE calculations and confirms virtual services from abroad don’t count, potentially reshaping compliance for multinationals
User-friendly digital tax filing systems, transformative AI deployment, and the continued proliferation of DSTs will define 2026, writes Ascoria’s Neil Kelley
Case workers are ‘still not great’ but are making fewer enquiries, making the right decision more often and are more open to calls, ITR has heard
Gift this article