Croatia raised the price for packaging to 10 cents, but in Germany it is even 25 cents!
Many services became quite confused after the euro was introduced, which strengthened earlier requests for reform. The fee for plastic packaging will increase, according to the Ministry of Economics. The addition of tips to the fiscalization system was also announced by the Ministry of Finance.
The fee for packaging rises to 10 cents in Croatia
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Croatia
Author: Kristina Dosen
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Fiscal subject related
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1221
Content accuracy validation date:
09.03.2023
Content accuracy validation time:
13:50h
The return price for plastic packaging has been increased by 3 lipa to 7 cents as a result of the country's entry into the eurozone and the launch of the euro, from its prior figure of 50 lipa. Yet, given that remuneration is lower than in other nations, this tiny rise from the beginning does not satisfy a number of organizations throughout Croatia.
Depending on the material and container size, the return cost ranges from 10 to 40 cents in Finland, 25 cents in Germany, 15 to 25 cents in the Netherlands, 15 cents in Slovakia, and 10 cents in Latvia and Lithuania.
The Ministry of Economics previously informed Hina that they were working on a new regulation regarding waste management compensation and return compensation at the beginning of the year, and they just reaffirmed this. The charge should rise along with the new regulation.
In order to increase the rate of plastic packaging collection, the associations think the minimum fee should be set at 10 cents. Additionally, packaging for liquid edible and cosmetic products is being sought after, as is multi-layer packaging with a predominantly paperboard component, like Tetrapak packaging, and non-PET plastic. The returnable packaging system is also being expanded to include bottles bigger than three liters.
On the other hand, restaurant owners have been complaining that there are no longer any tips since the year began since customers total up every penny. As more and more people use cards to make purchases, the issue for restaurant owners gets worse.
The idea of adding a tip to the fiscalization system was discussed even two years ago. The topic therefore has nothing to do with the launch of the euro but rather with improving how tips are handled. According to some psychologists, tipping will undoubtedly come back as people become more familiar with the new currency's coins and banknotes.
Nowadays, Croatian law does not even recognize the term "tip," and when it is received electronically, it is regarded as basic income. The tip would become a non-taxable receipt up to a set amount annually if it were included in the tax system. Beyond the agreed-upon tax-free threshold, all tip payments would be subject to other income taxes. The amount of the tax-free threshold is still under question. In any event, this modification, which officials say would take effect next year, would simplify the process of collecting tips using cards while also increasing the total amount of tips.
In many countries, non-cash and cash tips are treated differently, and if they are left in cash, no tax is paid on them. But in Germany, for example, that income is also reported. As of this year, a five percent tax on tips was introduced in Italy.
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