In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lithuanian Government and the tax authorities decided to apply certain personal income tax and social security contribution related measures to assist taxpayers with their ongoing obligations.
Related measures by the PIT administrator - State Tax Inspectorate under the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter - STI):
STI published a list of tax payers which were directly hit and experienced adverse effects of COVID-19 pandemic. These tax payers are automatically subject to certain reliefs, applicable for tax debts incurred before 31 August 2021, and the following fiscal measures apply to the listed entrepreneurs:
Recovery of unpaid taxes is suspended. Interest on late payment are not to be calculated;
Accumulated unpaid taxes have can be paid without interest until 31 December 2022. In order to conclude a tax loan agreement without interest, taxpayers have to submit an application to the STI by 31 August 2021, and the agreement must be concluded by 31 December 2021. Otherwise, all accumulated unpaid taxes should be paid by 31 October 2021.
Possibility to pay accumulated unpaid taxes exists beyond 31 December 2022. Companies that cannot pay accumulated taxes within the set deadline can apply to STI for postponement of tax payment. Interest will be charged only on subsequent installments.
Taxpayers not on the COVID-19 list, but which have also experienced negative consequences of COVID-19, may apply to the tax authorities for the reliefs, as well as for conclusion of a tax credit agreement.
Related measures by the SSC administrator (State Social Insurance Fund Board):
Aid measures apply to adversely affected insurers. An adversely affected insurer is an insurer whose activities are restricted because the quarantine has been announced in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania or the quarantine has been announced in the territory of the municipality, and if an insurer specifies in the prescribed application that he operates in this territory of the municipality, and:
who is automatically listed on the list “Legal entities that are subject to tax aid measures due to COVID-19 without submitting an application” that is published by the STI; or
whose application for tax aid measures due to COVID-19 has been approved by the STI.
Insurers, having not found themselves among the published taxpayers, but having suffered adverse effects due to COVID-19, may apply to STI for the said aid measures by submitting an application for the application of selected aid measures.
Recovery of unpaid taxes is suspended. State Social Insurance Fund Board would not start tax recovery if these companies have social security debts arising from a declaration filed from 16th March 2020 till 16th of June 2020 and from 7th of November 2020 (in local quarantines from 26th of October 2020) till the end of quarantine.
The annual tax-exempt amount for the fiscal year 2020 was increased from EUR 4200 (as budgeted for 2020 before COVID-19) to EUR 4800 for individuals whose annual income does not exceed twelve minimum monthly wages effective on 1 January 2020 (EUR 7 284 in 2020). For others, the annual tax-exempt amount is estimated using the following formula:
4 800– 0.19 x (annual income – twelve minimum monthly wages effective on 1 January of a respective calendar year).
One-off child benefit to reduce the effects related with the COVID-19 pandemics was paid out in 2020. Low-income families with up to two children and families with three or more children, as well as families raising children with disabilities, are entitled to one-off payment of 200 euros per child. Other families with children are entitled to one-off payment of 120 euros per child. One-off child benefit was paid out for children who were / became child benefit eligible according to the Law on Benefits for Children throughout the period between 16 May 2020 and 31 December 2020.