Hungary

Resident taxpayers are subject to all-inclusive or unlimited CIT liability. Non-residents are subject to CIT on their income from their Hungarian branch’s business activities.

From 1 January 2017, the CIT rate is a flat 9% of the positive CIT base. The taxable base is calculated by adjusting the accounting pre-tax profit shown in the taxpayer’s financial statements by the tax base increasing and decreasing items (e.g. tax depreciation, thin capitalisation, provisions, tax loss carry forwards) prescribed in the Act on Corporate Tax and Dividend Tax (CDTA).

Minimum tax base

Except in the pre-company period and in the first tax year of a company’s existence (or in the first tax year if separate financial statements are not required for the pre-company period), as well as in some other defined cases, certain rules apply if the profit before taxation or the general CIT base (the higher of the two) is below the minimum tax base.

The minimum corporate tax base is calculated as 2% of the total revenue with some increasing and decreasing items (e.g. transactions falling under the EU Merger Directive). In the above case, a company may decide to pay CIT based on the minimum tax base or may declare a statement in the CIT return. The statement provides additional details about the financials of the company, based on which the tax authority decides whether or not to initiate a tax audit.

Real estate holding companies

The foreign owner of a real estate holding company is subject to Hungarian CIT in the case of the alienation or withdrawal of its shares in the real estate holding company.

The tax base of the foreign owner of a real estate holding company is the positive amount of the consideration minus the acquisition price of the shares less the costs of acquisition. The tax rate is 9%, and the participation exemption regulations do not apply.

A company and its Hungarian taxpayer related parties are defined as real estate holding companies for CIT purposes if:

• more than 75% of the book value of their assets (on a standalone and/or group level) is in domestic real estate, and
• they have a foreign shareholder that is not resident in a country that has a double tax treaty (DTT) with Hungary or the treaty allows such capital gains (from real property rich shares) to be taxed in Hungary.

Hungary has concluded numerous tax treaties in the past that provide treaty protection for such transactions; however, renewed treaties usually allow for source country capital gains taxation in such cases.

Domestic shareholders are generally subject to 9% CIT on the above type of transactions; however, they may benefit from the Hungarian participation exemption regime for capital gain taxation purposes.

Energy suppliers’ income tax

Energy producers and energy distribution system operators are subject to energy suppliers’ income tax. The scope of the definition of 'energy suppliers' also includes mines, universal suppliers, and authorised distributors of electricity and natural gas.

The base of energy suppliers’ income tax is similar to the CIT base, however, with less adjustments applicable to the accounting profits. The tax rate is 41%.

If the energy supplier entity possesses a development tax incentive or a tax incentive in relation to investments aimed at increasing energy efficiency or renewal projects (see the Tax credits and incentives section), then it is possible to claim this tax incentive for up to 50% of energy suppliers’ income tax liability as well. Additionally, the settled amount of mining royalty can be claimed for up to HUF 1.5 billion from energy suppliers’ income tax liability.

Special rules apply in this regard for CIT groups.

As of 1 July 2017, an extra tax base deduction is available in connection with the establishment of electric vehicle charging stations, unless the taxpayer has already opted for a CIT base deduction with respect to the investment.

From an accounting point of view, energy suppliers’ income tax falls under the same treatment as CIT (thus it is a non-deductible item for CIT purposes). DTTs also covers this type of tax.

According to the regulation on the extra-profit tax, the scope of taxpayers has been extended with the so-called 'manufacturing producers', namely bioethanol producers, starch and starch product producers, and sunflower oil producers. The new taxable persons are determined on the basis of the TEÁOR number under which an entity performs its activity and the heading of the Combined Nomenclature of the manufactured products.

Manufacturing producers will be subject to the general rules of the energy suppliers’ income tax, with the following main differences. Thus, as a general rule, the tax base is the adjusted pre-tax profit, with the tax rate of 41%.

Advertisement tax

Advertisement tax applies to certain advertising services, including advertising services made available over the Internet. The tax applies in respect of advertisements that are published in Hungarian, or where the advertisement is not published in Hungarian but is available on a website/webpage that is mainly in Hungarian.

However, currently the advertisement tax rate is 0% in the period from 1 July 2019 up to 31 December 2025, both for primary and secondary taxpayers.

Extra-profit tax on the producers of petroleum products

The tax base of the extra-profit tax on the producers of petroleum products is the difference between the price of crude oil originating in the Russian Federation and the world market price of crude oil (i.e. the difference between the average daily quotations of Platts Crude Oil Marketwire Brent and the monthly arithmetic average purchase price of crude oil originating in the Russian Federation) multiplied by the number of barrels of crude oil purchased from the Russian Federation during the given month, minus 7.50 United States dollars (USD) per barrel, if positive, with the petroleum product producer applying the official average monthly USD exchange rate of the National Bank of Hungary for the month in question when calculating the tax liability. The rate of the special tax is 95% to be paid by the producer of petroleum products in 2022 through 2025. The amount of special tax payable must be assessed and declared monthly by self-assessment by the 20th day of the month after the month to be reported.

Surtax on retail tax

Retail tax under the currently in force Act on Retail Tax is payable on the basis of the gross revenues deriving from retail sales in a progressive way. From 2024, taxpayers shall fulfil their tax payment obligation on the basis of an amended tax table, which will generally mean an increased tax burden compared to 2023, except for retailers with gross revenues less than HUF 100 billion. The highest tax rate for this year therefore (including the surtax) almost reaches 5%.

Local business tax (LBT)

All municipalities are entitled to levy LBT. LBT is deductible for Hungarian CIT purposes and is not treated as ‘income tax’ in the application of the tax treaties.

The LBT base is the total net sales revenue reduced by the cost of goods sold (COGS), subcontractors’ work, material costs, mediated services, and research and development (R&D) costs. These items are deductible under a decreasing scale at taxpayers with larger turnover (with the effect that lower margin businesses may have higher effective LBT rates). In order to prevent tax avoidance, the tax base shall be calculated on a consolidated basis for affiliated entities that have a gross margin (net sales revenue - COGS and mediated services) of less than 50% in Hungary provided the related-party relationship was formed as a result of a demerger carried out after 1 October 2016.

As LBT is payable in each municipality where the taxpayer is active, there are detailed rules to allocate the taxable base among these locations and a separate PE definition is applicable for LBT purposes. PE for LBT purposes shall also include solar power plants. Starting from 1 January 2021, a PE is deemed to exist in the case of construction operations exceeding 180 days. However, other business activities carried out temporarily are not subject to LBT. In general, the allocation is calculated based on a formula comprising tangible asset value (i.e. tax depreciation of the assets) and payroll cost figures.

General service fees, depreciation, and labour costs are typically not deductible for LBT purposes. Interest income, dividend income, and the LBT base of a foreign PE of a Hungarian company are exempt from LBT. Royalty exemptions, on the other hand, have been significantly narrowed down in line with the OECD nexus approach (from mid-2016, with an applicable grandfathering period).

The LBT rate may differ from municipality to municipality but is capped at 2% by law. In the tax year that ended in 2022, the maximum level of the LBT rate was 1% for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, even if a higher tax rate was set forth in the municipal decree; however, from 1 January 2023, the deducted LBT rate is not applicable.

With effect from the tax year starting from 1 January 2020, in line with other taxes, top-up liability for LBT purposes was abolished. 

From 1 January 2019, local governments have the possibility to introduce tax allowance or tax exemption aimed at encouraging investment projects carried out within the territory of the municipality. Tax advantage may be provided from the LBT payable by the taxpayer for its taxable activities performed within the territorial jurisdiction of the municipality in the year in which the investment project is carried out or, depending on the local government’s decision, also in subsequent years.

From 1 January 2023, the taxpayers can also fulfil their obligation to pay the LBT advance and LBT to the National Tax and Customs Office by transferring it to an account to be made for this purpose for tax payment in US dollars or euros (EUR).

The transferred USD or EUR amount will be credited to the taxpayer's tax account in Hungarian forint based on the Hungarian Central Bank’s exchange rate on the day of the transaction.

Calculation of LBT for small businesses

The calculation of LBT for small businesses was amended from 1 January 2023. According to the legislation, a company qualifies as a small business if its annual income does not exceed HUF 25 million, or HUF 120 million for a retailer company. The tax applies to the taxable base differentiated according to the income brackets (up to HUF 25 million or HUF 120 million) and the minimum business tax is HUF 50,000. The tax must be paid once a year, and no tax return is required.

New PE definition

The Act introduces a new PE definition for entrepreneurs who perform air passenger transport activities. From 1 January 2024, these entrepreneurs are subject to LBT in the jurisdiction of the local municipality where there is an airport from which the entrepreneur's flights depart, irrespective of not having any fixed establishments there. The Act also explicitly states that the net sales revenue of the airlines should include the consideration received for the air passenger transport service provided on flights departing from Hungary and the services provided together with it.

From 1 January 2025, those entrepreneurs who are resident in a state which is a party to the Convention on International Civil Aviation opened for signature in Chicago on 7 December 1944 are excluded from the scope of the new PE definition.

In addition to the above rules, the Act also introduces a special calculation method for splitting the LBT base between the Hungarian PEs, if more than one is created.

As many airlines with departing flights from Hungary are not Hungarian tax residents and have no fixed establishment in Hungary that would have qualified as a PE for the purposes of the LBT under the previous rules, the Act will introduce a new levy for non-resident airlines that results in additional tax payment and compliance obligations for these entities in Hungary. Additionally, airlines with fixed establishment in Hungary may also be impacted to the extent they do not already report all of the revenue earned from their Hungarian departing flights for LBT purposes (e.g. because the tickets are not sold through the Hungarian establishment).

Additionally, due to the PE triggered for local business tax purposes, airlines would also be subject to innovation contribution, which is calculated as 0.3% of the same tax base.

Innovation contribution

Companies defined as such in the Accounting Act, except for micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) and branches of foreign entities, are subject to innovation contribution. From 26 August 2022, LBT PEs of foreign entities (including branches) are also required to pay innovation contribution, similar to Hungarian entities. As of 1 January 2019, the MSE thresholds should be calculated on a group level basis, which may significantly widen the number of taxpayers. The tax base of the innovation contribution is, in general, the same as their LBT base. The tax rate is 0.3%.