Bosnia — Regulatory Summary
Bosnia & Herzegovina (BA) Regulatory Requirements
Overview
- Country Code: BA
- Currency: BAM (Convertible Mark), symbol "KM"
- EU Status: Non-member (potential candidate)
- Open Banking: Not adopted
- Payment System: Gyro Clearing + RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement)
COMPLEXITY: BiH has two entities:
- FBiH (Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- RS (Republika Srpska)
VAT is unified at state level. Direct taxes (CIT, WHT) are separate per entity.
VAT (PDV - Porez na dodanu vrijednost)
| Rate Type | Rate | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 17% | General goods and services (opća stopa) |
| Zero | 0% | Exports |
No reduced rates
Registration Threshold: 100,000 BAM annual turnover Return Frequency: Monthly Filing Deadline: TBD (check UIO portal) Portal: UIO (Indirect Taxation Authority)
Corporate Income Tax (CIT - Porez na dobit)
- Rate: 10% (both FBiH and RS)
- Filing Deadline: March 31
- Administration: Separate per entity
- FBiH: Tax Administration of FBiH
- RS: Tax Administration of RS
Withholding Tax (WHT)
| Type | FBiH | RS |
|---|---|---|
| Dividends | 5% | 10% |
| Interest | 10% | 10% |
| Royalties | 10% | 10% |
IMPORTANT: Dividend WHT differs by entity!
Small Business Regime
- No specific pausal regime like Serbia or Croatia
- Standard taxation applies regardless of size
E-Invoice (CPF - Central Platform for Fiscalisation)
Status: PENDING (expected ~2027) Law Adopted: January 2026 (FBiH only) Technical Specs: NOT YET PUBLISHED
Planned Coverage:
- B2B/B2G: CPF platform
- B2C: ESET fiscal devices
RS Entity: Separate regulations, no mandate yet
Implementation Note: Monitor for technical specifications publication. Do NOT implement until specs available.
Fiscal Devices (B2C)
Required for: Cash sales System: ESET (Electronic System of Tax Registers)
Chart of Accounts (Kontni okvir)
Regulation: FBiH Pravilnik (2022) Structure: 10-class system (0-9)
- Class 0: Fixed assets & long-term placements
- Class 1: Inventory
- Class 2: Short-term receivables, cash
- Class 3: Capital
- Class 4: Long-term liabilities
- Class 5: Operating expenses
- Class 6: Revenue
- Class 7: Financial income
- Class 8: Financial expenses
- Class 9: Off-balance sheet accounts
Note: RS may have slight variations - need verification
Accounts: 3-digit base accounts, 4-5 digit analytical accounts
Financial Statement Filing
Institution:
- FBiH: Agency of Financial Information
- RS: Tax Administration of RS
Deadline: March 31 Required Statements:
- Balance Sheet (Bilans stanja)
- Income Statement (Bilans uspjeha)
- Cash Flow Statement (large entities)
- Statement of Changes in Equity (large entities)
Document Retention:
- FBiH: 10 years
- RS: 11 years
Bank Integration
Format: ISO 20022 (aligned, not full SEPA) Payment System: Gyro Clearing + RTGS Instant Payments: Not available
Accounting Standards
Adopted: IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) by both entities Optional: IFRS for SMEs
Key Dates
| Event | Deadline |
|---|---|
| VAT return | Monthly (check UIO) |
| CIT annual return | March 31 |
| Financial statements filing | March 31 |
Implementation Notes
- Package:
@bilko/country-ba - CPF integration: DO NOT implement until technical specs published (~2027)
- Entity handling: Must support FBiH vs RS distinction for CIT and WHT
- Language: Bosnian (Latin script), Serbian (Cyrillic) also used in RS
- VAT unified: Single UIO portal for all entities
- Direct taxes separate: FBiH and RS have different portals and deadlines
Unknowns & Risks
- CPF technical specs - Not published, expected ~2027
- RS e-invoice mandate - No timeline yet
- Specific account numbers - Need actual Pravilnik documents
- RS chart of accounts - May differ from FBiH, needs verification
Recommendation: Launch BiH THIRD (after Serbia and Croatia) to allow time for regulatory clarity.