Serbia: Law on deadlines for settling financial debts

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: Law on deadlines for settling financial debts

vucenovic.jpg

Gordana Vucenovic

The Parliament of Serbia has adopted the new law on deadlines for settling financial debts in commercial transactions. The law came into force on December 25 2012 and will be applicable from March 31 2013.

The main provisions of the law refer to the deadlines of settling the existing debts between companies, and debts between companies on one side and the public sector on the other side:

The legal deadline of settling the existing debts between companies is limited to 60 days. This provision is applicable even in the following cases:

  • When the deadline of settling of debts is not determined by the agreement between parties;

  • When there is no agreement between parties; and

  • When the deadline determined by the agreement is longer than 60 days.

In the following cases, the debtor is exempted from the above described provisions:

  • Payments by instalments;

  • Payments by bills of exchange; and

  • Payments in the agricultural sector.

The legal deadline of settling the existing debts between companies and the public sector:

  • In the event when the debtor is a public institution, the deadline for settlement can not be longer than 45 days;

  • In the event when the debtor is the fund for health insurance of the Republic of Serbia, the deadline can not be longer than 90 days; and

  • In the event the debtor is a company, the deadline can not be longer than 60 days.

In all events, the deadline for settlement of debts starts running with the first day from the date of the receipt of invoice.

Gordana Vucenovic (gordana.vucenovic@eurofast.eu)

Eurofast Global, Belgrade Office/Serbia

Tel: +381 11 3241 484

Website: www.eurofast.eu

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

The recent spree of firm mergers and acquisitions proves that geographic scale is the name of the game
The big four spin-off firm becomes Taxand’s second UK member; in other news, Haynes Boone launched a UK tax practice
Stephanie Pantelidaki’s economic expertise will give Norton Rose Fulbright’s other teams ‘extra firepower,’ she says
Mada has opened simultaneously in Paris and Dubai with an eight-lawyer team from Trinity International
PwC will continue to provide indirect tax services as part of the deal; in other news, the CJEU addressed the VAT treatment of TP adjustments
The arrival of Renan Ozturk and his team from A&M Tax introduces a unique proposition within the Middle East legal market, the firm said
The deal, reportedly worth $400m, will add Svalner Atlas’s 50-partner Nordic and Benelux presence to Ryan’s rapidly growing global footprint
The combined firm, which comprises over 1,400 lawyers, will boast robust tax practices in both the UK and US
Cascading tax reform, bullish foreign investment and vigorous TP audits have made Italy’s tax advisory market dynamic and stiffly competitive
As ITR data reveals that 2025 saw more than double the amount of private client hires than 2024, it seems firms are jostling for position
Gift this article