Damir Barbir criticizes Croatian tax increases on small landlords

Damir Barbir, a Member of Parliament for the Centar party, has criticized the Croatian government for increasing the flat-rate tax on small family landlords. Barbir argues that while the state seeks additional revenue from over 110,000 small-scale tourism providers, it fails to address approximately 10,000 unnecessary political appointments that reportedly cost the state around half a billion euros annually.

In response, the Centar party has launched the ‘Metla.hr’ initiative, which calls for the government to address internal inefficiencies before increasing taxes on citizens. Barbir highlighted discrepancies in how tourist development is measured, noting that the current index focuses on bed counts and overnight stays rather than essential infrastructure like water, drainage, or transport connectivity. He pointed out that many small settlements on the Adriatic coast are categorized similarly to major cities despite lacking basic services, such as regular ferry access or proper docks.

Barbir has issued three specific demands to the government, including a request for transparency regarding exactly how many landlords and beds will be affected by the tax increase and a call to integrate infrastructure quality into the tourism development methodology.