- Invoicing a service to a business in another EU state (place of supply at the customer's seat, § 9(1) of Act No. 235/2004 Coll.)? You become an identified person from that first invoice — regardless of the amount and regardless of whether you are a VAT payer (§ 6i of Act No. 235/2004 Coll.).
- You become a full VAT payer based on domestic turnover — CZK 2,000,000 by year-end, or CZK 2,536,500 immediately (§ 6(1) and (2)). Revenue with place of supply outside Czechia is excluded from that turnover (§ 4a(1)) — which is why a contractor billing only abroad can stay an identified person for years without ever becoming a VAT payer.
- Paušální daň (the flat-rate tax) costs 9,162 CZK / 16,745 CZK / 27,139 CZK per month in 2026 depending on the band (Czech Financial Administration). Becoming an identified person does not cost you the flat-rate regime — the "not a VAT payer" condition expressly excepts identified-person registration (§ 2a(1)(a)(3) of Act No. 586/1992 Coll.).
- With 60% flat expenses, paušální daň starts to pay off at roughly 931,000 CZK of annual income: it is a fixed amount, while contributions under an ordinary return rise with income — the exact break-even points and the arithmetic are below.
- Working on-site for a client in another EU country for more than a few weeks? Settle the A1 certificate before you go — the applicable social-security law depends on where you actually work, not where the client is based (Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, Article 12).
Responsibility for this page rests with Ganado International s.r.o., company ID 19322119 (ARES registry entry), acting through its director Artem Chagin. It is general information as of the update date, not tax advice on your specific case.
OSVČ or s.r.o. for a contractor?
Most IT contractors start as OSVČ (self-employed) and only consider an s.r.o. later. OSVČ has lower entry cost and simpler administration; an s.r.o. gives limited liability and a different structure for the director's pay. The choice usually turns on income level and stability, and on whether the counterparty wants to contract with a legal entity rather than an individual. A detailed, numbers-based comparison is in a separate article: OSVČ vs. s.r.o. in practice (Czech).
This guide stays with OSVČ, since that is the starting point for the large majority of contractors with a first foreign client.
Invoicing a foreign client
For an ordinary B2B service (software development, consulting, infrastructure work) supplied to a taxable person in another EU state, the place of supply is the customer's seat, not Czechia (§ 9(1) of Act No. 235/2004 Coll.). The invoice carries no Czech VAT and must state "reverse charge" / that the customer accounts for the tax (§ 29(2)(c) of the same Act) — that wording is a mandatory element of a reverse-charge invoice, not an optional phrase.
At that moment, an OSVČ who is not yet a VAT payer becomes an identified person — regardless of the amount, because the law sets no turnover threshold for this type of supply (§ 6i). Registration is due within 15 days of the day the service was supplied.
An identified person who supplied such a service must also file a EC Sales List (souhrnné hlášení) for every calendar month in which the supply occurred, within 25 days of the month's end (§ 102(3) and (5)). This does not by itself create a duty to file a VAT return — that is a separate obligation tied to different supplies.
Invoicing abroad — what applies depending on client and service
The rule depends on the real nature of the client and the service, not on the invoice currency.
| Situation | What applies |
|---|---|
| EU business client, B2B service (development, consulting, IT management) | Place of supply is at the customer's seat (§ 9(1)). Invoice without VAT, stating that the customer accounts for the tax. You become an identified person from the first such invoice, with an EC Sales List due for that month. |
| Client outside the EU (US, UK, Switzerland…) | Place of supply is also at the customer's seat outside Czechia, but the EC Sales List and identified-person status under § 6i apply specifically to supplies into another EU member state. Invoicing without VAT still applies; the reverse-charge wording is not required for a non-EU client, but check that country's own rules. |
| Buying SaaS/ads from a foreign provider (Google Ads, AWS, Meta) | This is a received service, not a supplied one — a purchase like this can trigger identified-person status the same way, from the first such payment, independent of whether you invoice abroad yourself. |
| Annual turnover with place of supply in Czechia exceeds CZK 2,000,000 | VAT-payer status starts from the first day of the following calendar year, or earlier by voluntary election (§ 6(1)). Revenue with place of supply outside Czechia is excluded from this turnover (§ 4a). |
| Annual turnover with place of supply in Czechia exceeds CZK 2,536,500 | VAT-payer status starts the day after the threshold is crossed, not from the new year (§ 6(2)(b)). |
Identified-person status and full VAT-payer status are two different regimes that arise differently. A contractor invoicing only abroad can remain an identified person for years without ever crossing the domestic turnover threshold for VAT-payer status.
60% flat-rate expenses vs. actual expenses vs. paušální daň
Three different regimes solve three different problems: how expenses are calculated (60% flat vs. actual), and whether you file a return at all (paušální daň replaces tax, social and health insurance with one monthly payment).
| Your situation | Recommended regime |
|---|---|
| Low actual costs, want simplicity without tracking expense receipts | 60% flat-rate expenses (for a non-craft trade licence) — you still file a return, but expenses need no receipts. Works well when real costs are clearly below 60% of income. |
| High actual costs (subcontractors, equipment, office) | Actual, receipted expenses. This overtakes the flat rate once documented costs exceed roughly 60% of income — below that line the flat rate is usually better with no audit exposure on expenses. |
| Want one monthly payment, no return, no annual overviews | Paušální daň — but only with annual self-employment income up to CZK 2,000,000 and outside VAT-payer status (Czech Financial Administration). Identified-person registration is not a bar; it is expressly excepted from that condition (§ 2a(1)(a)(3)). You pay the same fixed amount regardless of your real expense ratio — an advantage at a low cost share, a drawback at a high one. |
A lower paušální daň band is unavailable once the real share of 60%/80%-eligible income drops below 75%, or once income exceeds the band's ceiling; band transitions and conditions are set out on the Financial Administration page linked above.
Break-even: the income at which paušální daň starts to pay off
Filing normally with 60% flat expenses costs, per year, tax base × (15% + 55% × 29.2% + 50% × 13.5%) less the CZK 30,840 personal credit — that is 37.81% of the base before the credit. Paušální daň is a fixed amount, so the two lines cross at one specific income. Each crossing point below is computed, not estimated.
| Annual income | What comes out cheaper |
|---|---|
| Annual income up to 931,000 CZK | Filing normally with 60% flat expenses is usually cheaper. At 931,000 CZK the contributions match band I of paušální daň (9,162 CZK per month, 109,944 CZK per year). |
| Annual income 931,000 CZK – CZK 1,500,000 | Band I is usually cheaper, if you qualify for it — the CZK 1,500,000 ceiling applies only when at least 75% of income falls in the 60% or 80% expense category (Czech Financial Administration), which a non-craft IT trade licence satisfies. |
| Annual income CZK 1,500,000 – 1,533,000 CZK | Above band I's ceiling you move to band II (16,745 CZK per month, 200,940 CZK per year). Up to 1,533,000 CZK of income, filing normally still comes out cheaper. |
| Annual income above 1,533,000 CZK (up to CZK 2,000,000) | Band II is usually cheaper — see the worked example below at 1,800,000 CZK of income. Above CZK 2,000,000 of self-employment income the flat-rate regime is unavailable entirely. |
The band is set by your income in the preceding tax period, not the current one. These break-even points assume only the basic personal credit: the child credit, the spouse credit, mortgage interest and pension/life-insurance deductions cannot be claimed in the flat-rate regime, so every additional credit you hold pushes the crossing point further in favour of filing normally.
Minimum OSVČ advances for 2026 (outside paušální daň)
If you are not in the flat-rate regime, you pay monthly social- and health-insurance advances separately from income tax. Minimums for a main (hlavní) activity in 2026:
| Social insurance, main activity (Jan–Jun 2026) | CZK 5,720 (ČSSZ) |
|---|---|
| Social insurance, main activity (Jul–Dec 2026) | CZK 5,005 (ČSSZ) |
| Social insurance, secondary activity | CZK 1,574 (ČSSZ) |
| Health insurance, main activity (from 1 Jan 2026) | CZK 3,306 (VZP ČR) |
A common misreading to avoid: the cut to the social-insurance advance is not applied retroactively to January 2026 — ČSSZ states expressly that it takes effect first with the advance for July 2026. If you paid the higher minimum from January to June, you need not apply for a refund; it is credited in the annual settlement once you file your overview. The cut to the band I paušální daň advance, by contrast, is retroactive — see the change note at the top of this page. The real advance is computed from your real base, and the minimum is only a floor.
Švarcsystém — when invoicing crosses into disguised employment
Illegal work (nelegální práce) is defined as work that has the features of dependent work and is carried out by a natural person outside an employment relationship, unless another statute permits that (§ 5(e)(1) of Act No. 435/2004 Coll., on employment). The Labour Code's core features of dependent work are: personal performance, subordination and supervision, following the client's instructions, working under the client's name, hours and place set by the client, and pay for work performed rather than for a defined result.
A single long-term client, fixed hours set by that client, work performed exclusively on their premises with their equipment, and direct, employee-like supervision are the typical risk markers. Your own equipment, being paid for a defined deliverable rather than time worked, multiple concurrent clients, and contractual freedom over how the work gets done all reduce the risk.
This is always assessed on the real facts of the arrangement, not the label on the contract. Ganado does not give a legal opinion on švarcsystém risk for a specific contract — that belongs to a lawyer or the labour inspectorate; on the accounting side, we can flag risk markers that show up in the records we see. A full breakdown of the signs, the § 139 / § 140 fines and how to structure a contract safely is on the dedicated švarcsystém page.
A1 certificate for on-site work at a client in another EU state
A person who ordinarily pursues a self-employed activity in one member state and goes to another to pursue a similar activity there remains subject to the first state's legislation, provided the anticipated duration of that activity does not exceed 24 months (Regulation (EC) No 883/2004, Article 12(2)). Holding a Czech trade licence guarantees nothing by itself — what matters is the real, expected duration and nature of the work abroad, confirmed by the competent institution.
The A1 is proof of which social-security legislation applies — not proof of tax residency, and not a VAT invoicing decision. These are three separate questions that are often handled together in practice but follow different rules and different authorities.
Before you go to work on-site for a foreign client for more than a few weeks, have ready: where and for how long you will physically work, whether you hold concurrent employment or self-employment in another state, and the start date. An A1 request cannot be assessed or filed without these facts.
Filing deadlines
The personal income tax return is due 3 months after the end of the tax period; filing electronically extends this to 4 months, and being represented by a tax advisor extends it to 6 months (§ 136 of Act No. 280/2009 Coll., the Tax Code). In practice for the 2026 filing season that means early April, early May or early July depending on the filing route chosen.
The Přehled o příjmech a výdajích (income/expense overview) for ČSSZ and for the health insurer is due on a deadline tied to when the income tax return was actually filed — usually within a month of that date (ČSSZ).
The EC Sales List for an identified person is due for every month in which a relevant supply occurred, within 25 days of that month's end (§ 102(5)) — independent of the annual income tax return.
Paušální daň advances are due by the 20th day of the relevant month (Czech Financial Administration).
What lateness costs: the late-filing penalty only arises once the delay exceeds 5 working days. From then it is 0.05% of the assessed tax for each day of delay, capped at 5% of the tax and at CZK 300,000 overall (§ 250 of the Tax Code). On the CZK 77,160 of tax from the worked example below, that is roughly CZK 39 per day of delay with a CZK 3,858 ceiling. The EC Sales List is not tied to an amount of tax, so a missing EC Sales List or a late identified-person registration is dealt with under different provisions — the page on identified-person penalties covers those.
What you send, what we do, when it is done
No introductory call. You describe the scope in writing and get a price and timeline back in writing.
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Send five facts
Client country and type (EU business / non-EU / platform), approximate monthly income, current status (new OSVČ / taking over an existing one), whether and where you plan to physically work abroad, invoices per month.
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Get scope and price
Within one working day we confirm whether and when identified-person status arises, which expense regime makes sense, and send a fixed price and invoice.
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We start after payment
We handle registration where needed, set up your invoicing, and run ongoing records, EC Sales Lists and the annual return within the agreed scope.
Written reply within 1 working day.
What is billed separately
Monthly OSVČ bookkeeping starts at 990 CZK and covers ongoing records. The following are one-off or event-driven and billed separately at the published rates, so you can work out the total without a phone call.
| Identified-person / VAT registration | from 1,990 CZK | Application, power of attorney and correspondence with the tax office when identified-person or VAT-payer status arises. |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly VAT / identified-person filing | from 690 CZK / filing | Preparing and filing for the month in which a relevant supply occurred. |
| Historical backlog cleanup | from 1,990 CZK | Reviewing and completing periods that were not correctly recorded or filed. |
| Standalone annual return outside continuous service | from 2,990 CZK | For contractors who want only the annual work, without monthly bookkeeping. |
The annual return and the relevant insurance overviews are included in continuous monthly bookkeeping; they are billed separately only outside that scope.
Worked example: CZK 150,000 per month, 60% flat expenses (illustration)
A contractor invoices one EU client 150,000 CZK per month, i.e. 1,800,000 CZK per year. The figures are a round-number illustration, not tax advice for a specific case.
| Annual income | 1,800,000 CZK |
|---|---|
| 60% flat-rate expenses | − 1,080,000 CZK |
| Tax base | 720,000 CZK |
| Income tax 15% (§ 16), after the CZK 30,840 personal credit (§ 35ba) | 77,160 CZK |
| Social insurance, 29.2% of 55% of the base | 115,632 CZK |
| Health insurance, 13.5% of 50% of the base | 48,600 CZK |
| Total per year (filing normally, 60% flat expenses) | 241,392 CZK |
Rates used above: social insurance at 29.2% of an assessment base equal to 55% of the tax base (ČSSZ); health insurance at 13.5% of an assessment base equal to 50% of the tax base (§ 2 and § 3a of Act No. 592/1992 Coll.). For comparison: a contractor on a non-craft trade licence has 100% of income in the 60% expense category, so at CZK 1.8M they meet the 75% condition for band II's CZK 2M ceiling — band II is available, not only band III. It costs 16,745 CZK per month, i.e. 200,940 CZK per year, which is 40,452 CZK less than filing normally with 60% flat expenses in this model. At this income and expense ratio, paušální daň is the cheaper option. The calculation assumes only the basic personal credit; anyone claiming the child credit, the spouse credit or mortgage interest loses those in the flat-rate regime, which narrows or reverses the gap.
VERIFIED
Sources (verified 2026-09-20)
The links below point to primary sources — statutes, EU regulations and the relevant authorities' own pages — as of the verification date in the heading. Deadlines, rates and thresholds change over time, so confirm the current wording before acting on a specific case.
- Act No. 235/2004 Coll., on VAT — § 4a, § 6, § 6i, § 9, § 29, § 102
- Act No. 435/2004 Coll., on employment — § 5(e)(1) (illegal work)
- Act No. 586/1992 Coll., on income taxes — § 2a (flat-rate regime conditions), § 16 (tax rate), § 35ba (personal tax credit)
- Act No. 280/2009 Coll., the Tax Code — § 136 (return deadlines), § 250 (late-filing penalty)
- Act No. 592/1992 Coll., on public health insurance premiums — § 2 (13.5% rate), § 3a (50% assessment base)
- Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Article 12 (A1, 24 months)
- Czech Financial Administration — Information on the paušální daň regime for 2025 and 2026
- Czech Financial Administration — press release: pásmo I advance reduced from 1 July 2026
- ČSSZ — Change to OSVČ pension-insurance premiums from 1 July 2026
- ČSSZ — Key social-security figures for 2026
- ČSSZ — OSVČ social-insurance rate (29.2%, 55% base)
- VZP ČR — Minimum OSVČ health-insurance advance 2026
- Ganado International s.r.o. ARES registry entry
Describe your contract
Client country and type, approximate monthly income and current status are enough for a first reply with scope and price.