Montenegro: Tax treatment of severance payments and vouchers

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

Montenegro: Tax treatment of severance payments and vouchers

zivkovic.jpg

Jelena Zivkovic

The Montenegrin Law on Personal Income Tax defines income subject to personal income tax to include salaries, income related to immovable property and immovable property rights, income related to capital as well as capital gains. All of these types of income are taxed at the rate of 9%. From a corporate perspective, of interest to companies are certain cases such as severance payments which have a specific tax treatment.

The legislation defines that severance payments related to retirement as well as related to a termination of employment in redundancy procedures, which do not exceed €1,000 ($1,400) are exempt from social contribution deductions and personal income tax. In other scenarios of severance payments, such as mutual settlements for employment termination, the severance payment is taxed at the rate of 9% but such payments are nevertheless exempted from social contributions payments, irrespective of amount.

A similar logic applies when a company is granting vouchers, goods or discounts to its employees. All of these are considered as personal income in a tax sense and are subject to taxation. Just like with severance payments, mandatory social contributions are not applicable to this type of personal income.

According to the Law on Personal Income Tax, the company (employer) is responsible for the calculation and payment of the tax as well as mandatory social contributions. Even though certain countries allow physical person to calculate and pay their own tax liability, the Montenegrin legislation obligates the legal entity to calculate and pay all taxes and contributions on behalf of its employees, including local taxes.

Jelena Zivkovic (jelena.zivkovic@eurofast.eu)

Eurofast Global, Podgorica Office

Tel: +382 20 228 490

Website: www.eurofast.eu

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Brazil’s shift to a nationwide consumption tax is more than conceptual; it fundamentally transforms municipal revenue, enforcement, and administrative disputes
While some advisers praised the ruling’s definition of a ‘voucher’ for VAT purposes, a UK partner said the case left unanswered questions
While pillar two has been enacted on paper in Brazil, companies are encountering a range of practical compliance issues, ITR has heard
Moore, founding partner of the Chicago tax boutique which bears her name, shares her career wisdom for ITR’s new Women in Tax interview series
But partners at the firm admit that jumping ship to the US would not be as easy as some believe
Governments are rewriting tax policy for the AI era, deploying digital taxes, tailored incentives and algorithmic enforcement that redefine where value is created
Wingrove will succeed Bill Thomas, who has served in the role since 2017; in other news, Andersen unveiled a sharp increase in revenues for 2025
Partners are divided on Italy vs PDM D’s analytical depth, evidentiary standards, and what the judgment signals for future intra-group financing cases
As GCCs increasingly become strategic hubs, multinationals face heightened risks around permanent establishment and place of effective management
While all options presented ‘drawbacks’, European Commission tax leader Wopke Hoekstra said the controversial US carve-out deal has ‘many benefits’
Gift this article