Croatian business regulatory and tax relief protests

Business groups and industry associations in Croatia have begun campaigning for regulatory and tax relief to reduce administrative and financial burdens. Initial efforts included calls from coffee producers to abolish specific taxes on coffee products and the organization of a protest in Zagreb by traders, entrepreneurs, and landlords against tourism reforms and ‘anchor price’ rules. These rules require service providers to display both current and previous prices, with non-compliance carrying fines between €3,000 and €30,000.

Following these developments, the associations Glas poduzetnika (UGP) and Spasimo male obiteljske iznajmljivače (SMOi) submitted a formal petition to the Croatian Government containing ten specific demands. A central demand is the removal of requirements for small businesses and family landlords to publish price lists on websites. Other demands include reducing tax burdens for flat-rate tradesmen, protecting the rights of family landlords, increasing personal tax deductions to support wage increases, and seeking greater transparency and involvement in the legislative process.

In response to these pressures, the Croatian Ministry of Economy has indicated it will maintain its plan to introduce base price regulations to increase market transparency and empower consumers. State Secretary Ivan Rakocija stated that the government will not abandon these anchor prices, though he has invited small and micro-entrepreneurs to submit comments on the draft regulations during a public consultation period ending November 13. The proposed rules include specific exemptions for dynamic pricing, such as airline tickets, and personalized services like those provided by lawyers, architects, or custom florists.