Automatic growth of the contribution rate to the II. pension pillar by 0.25 p.p. per year was introduced in 2017. The contribution rate to the I. pillar decreases by the same amount. In 2022 the contribution rate to the II. pillar is 5.5 % and contribution to the I. Pillar is 8.5% (see Section 2.2). Moreover, the MLS value was revised up in July 2017 after 4 years of no change, which led to changes in the tax system allowances, credits and brackets from January 2018. Since 2018 the HIC allowance for employers was abolished.
In 2018, there were also legislative changes which do not directly affect calculations of the tax wedge used in this Report. The first is a new spa tax allowance for the PIT. Each taxpayer is allowed to reduce their tax base by up to EUR 50 each for themselves, their spouse and children if they spent money on domestic spa services. The allowance was abolished in 2021.
The second change is related to support for housing mortgage interest payments for young people. Since 2018 taxpayers are allowed to deduct half of the mortgage interest payment (maximum amount is EUR 400 per year) from their own tax liability. Previously, support for housing was in the form of a public subsidy.
Third, pensioners who earn income from special short term labour contracts (dohoda o vykonaní práce) benefit from an SIC allowance of EUR 200 per month from July 2018.
New exemptions of the 13th and 14th salaries were introduced in 2018. This measure has a negative impact on revenues, which is increasing with gradual phasing of exemptions from health insurance contributions, the PIT, and from 2019 onwards also from social insurance contributions. Maximum exemption is EUR 500 per additional salary. Since 2021, the exemptions of the 13th and 14th salary are abolished.