Sarajevo
common.homecommon.jurisdictionsBosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
BA
Sarajevo

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina presents unique opportunities with its complex but navigable regulatory structure across two entities (Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska) and Brčko District. The country offers competitive costs and a skilled workforce.

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jurisdiction.taxSystem

jurisdiction.corporateIncomeTax

10%

jurisdiction.valueAddedTax

17%

jurisdiction.keyFeatures

  • Flat 10% corporate tax rate (among lowest in Europe)
  • Unified VAT system across all entities
  • Tax incentives for investments in certain areas
  • Loss carry-forward for 5 years
  • Different regulations in FBiH and RS require careful compliance

jurisdiction.treatyNetwork Bosnia and Herzegovina has double tax treaties with approximately 40 countries.

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jurisdiction.employment

BiH offers competitive labor costs with a workforce educated in technical fields. Employment regulations differ between the Federation and Republika Srpska, requiring entity-specific compliance.

jurisdiction.socialContributions Total employment costs vary by entity, approximately 41% in FBiH and 33% in RS above gross salary.

jurisdiction.keyRequirements

  • Employment contracts mandatory in writing
  • Working week of 40 hours standard
  • Minimum 20 days annual leave
  • Entity-specific labor law compliance
  • Collective agreements may apply by sector

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jurisdiction.companyFormation

jurisdiction.entityTypes

  • DOO (Limited Liability Company)
  • DD (Joint Stock Company)
  • Branch Office
  • Representative Office

jurisdiction.typicalTimeline

5-10 business days depending on entity location

jurisdiction.capitalRequirements

Minimum capital of KM 2,000 (approximately €1,000) for DOO in FBiH, KM 1 in RS.

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jurisdiction.regulatoryEnvironment

jurisdiction.keyRegulators

  • Entity-level courts for company registration
  • Entity tax authorities (FBiH Tax Administration, RS Tax Administration)
  • Indirect Taxation Authority (VAT)
  • Banking agencies at entity level

jurisdiction.complianceNotes

  • Registration in appropriate entity required
  • VAT compliance unified but CIT entity-specific
  • Different accounting regulations by entity
  • Annual financial statement filing requirements

jurisdiction.localExpertise

jurisdiction.ourPresenceIn Bosnia and Herzegovina

We support clients operating in Bosnia and Herzegovina through our regional network, providing accounting, tax, and corporate services with understanding of both entity frameworks.

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jurisdiction.ctaTitlePrefix Bosnia and Herzegovina jurisdiction.ctaTitleSuffix

jurisdiction.ctaDescPrefix Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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