The European Union welcomes a new member from 1 July 2013, Croatia. Below we have listed a few pieces of practical information that are worthwhile keeping in mind when examining transactions involving Croatia.
EU VAT numbers will become available after accession (HR country code followed by an 11-digit tax number). It is crucial to check the validity of Croatian business partners’ tax numbers and include them in summary reports during intra-EU transactions (previously we talked of goods imports and exports from a VAT perspective). Checks can also be carried out on the following website:
http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/
Customs procedures initiated prior to accession but not yet completed must be closed in accordance with EU rules, taking into account any special customs procedural rules.
Transitional rules must be applied for value added tax, specifically for special customs procedures that are pending (Section 282 of the VAT Act, which took effect from 1 July 2013).
