Ganado

PAUŠÁLNÍ DAŇ

Flat tax for contractors: who it pays off for

Paušální daň replaces income tax, social insurance and health insurance with one fixed monthly payment — but only up to CZK 2,000,000 annual income and only outside VAT-payer status. Here are the 2026 bands, why identified-person status does not disqualify you, and two worked comparisons against 60% flat expenses at CZK 100,000 and CZK 166,667 a month.

Work out my band IT contractor taxes guide

Correction, 25 September 2026: the comparisons include the annual minimum health-insurance base. The flat-tax income ceiling and Czech domestic VAT turnover are assessed separately.

  • Paušální daň has three bands by annual income: band I 9,162 CZK/month, band II 16,745 CZK/month, band III 27,139 CZK/month (Czech Financial Administration).
  • The conditions: annual income from self-employment up to 2,000,000 CZK, and no VAT-payer status — identified-person registration is explicitly excluded from that condition (§ 2a(1)(a)(3) of Act No. 586/1992 Coll.).
  • A contractor on CZK 100,000/month saves roughly 47,968 CZK a year with paušální daň versus 60% flat expenses; near the 2,000,000 CZK/year ceiling the saving is even larger.
  • Above 2,000,000 CZK a year, paušální daň ends in every band, while Czech VAT registration depends separately on domestic turnover and place of supply.

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.

2026 paušální daň conditions

Paušální daň replaces personal income tax, social insurance and health insurance with a single monthly payment. The 2026 conditions: annual income from self-employment cannot exceed 2,000,000 CZK, and you cannot be a VAT payer or have a VAT registration duty — with one exception (Czech Financial Administration).

That exception is identified-person registration: the Income Tax Act explicitly excludes it from the condition (§ 2a(1)(a)(3) of Act No. 586/1992 Coll.). A contractor who becomes an identified person by invoicing a service into the EU (§ 6i of Act No. 235/2004 Coll.) stays on paušální daň — but must keep filing an EC Sales List for every month with a relevant supply.

You become an actual VAT payer on domestic turnover: after exceeding 2,000,000 CZK from the first day of the following calendar year, and after exceeding 2,536,500 CZK from the day after it is exceeded (§ 6(1) and (2) of Act No. 235/2004 Coll.). Only supplies with a place of supply in Czechia count towards that turnover (§ 4a(1) of the same Act) — and becoming a VAT payer removes you from paušální daň regardless of which band you were in.

2026 paušální daň bands

Your band is set by annual income and the share of income falling into each flat-expense category. For a typical IT contractor or freelance consultant (100% of income in the 60%-expense category), the extended ceilings in the table apply.

BandIncome ceiling2026 monthly advance
Band I CZK 1,000,000 (no condition) / CZK 1,500,000 (≥75% in the 60% or 80% category) / CZK 2,000,000 (≥75% in the 80% category) 9,162 CZK (from 1 July 2026, previously CZK 9,984)
Band II CZK 1,500,000 (no condition) / CZK 2,000,000 (≥75% in 60%/80% category) 16,745 CZK
Band III CZK 2,000,000 (no condition, no extension) 27,139 CZK

Source: Czech Financial Administration, 2026 paušální daň information. The extended ceilings apply only when at least 75% of annual income falls into the 60% or 80% flat-expense category; band I's CZK 2,000,000 ceiling is reserved for income in the 80% category (craft trades, agriculture), not the 60% category a typical IT contractor on a free trade licence falls into.

Paušální daň, or 60% flat expenses?

What decides it is the relationship between your real costs, your income level, and whether your band makes paušální daň cheaper than actual contributions.

Your situation What usually makes sense
Income up to CZK 1,500,000/year, low real costs (a typical remote IT contractor) Paušální daň in band I is usually cheaper than 60% flat expenses — see worked example A below.
Income between CZK 1,500,000 and CZK 2,000,000/year Paušální daň in band II (if the 75% condition is met) is usually still cheaper, but the gap needs computing case by case — see worked example B.
Income above CZK 2,000,000/year Paušální daň is unavailable in every band. The alternative is 60% flat expenses or actual expenses, with VAT assessed separately by place of supply and domestic turnover.
A high share of real costs (above 60% of income — e.g. subcontractors, office rent, employees) Actual expenses can come out cheaper than both 60% flat expenses and paušální daň — run both scenarios on real numbers.
Expected income drop into a lower band next year Bands can be changed for the next year. Crossing an income ceiling mid-year requires checking notification and annual settlement; it is not, by itself, an instruction to stop paying advances the next month.

The worked comparison below uses the 60%-expense category — for craft trades in the 80% category, actual expenses usually win at lower income levels already.

Worked example A: CZK 100,000/month (CZK 1,200,000/year)

A contractor with 100% of income in the 60%-expense category meets the condition for band I's extended ceiling (CZK 1,500,000), so at CZK 1,200,000/year they stay in band I. The model assumes main self-employment throughout 2026, Czech public health insurance, the minimum health base applying for all 12 months and only the basic personal tax credit. Annual health insurance uses the higher actual/minimum base and is rounded upward once, not calculated as twelve rounded advances. Both sample incomes put the social assessment base above the ordinary minimum. Exemptions, a shorter activity period or other insurance change the result.

Annual income 1,200,000 CZK
60% flat expenses (60% of 1,200,000 CZK) 720,000 CZK
Tax base (1,200,000 CZK − 720,000 CZK) 480,000 CZK
15% tax on the base (72,000 CZK) minus the 30,840 CZK personal credit 41,160 CZK
Social insurance, 29.2% of 55% of the base (264,000 CZK) 77,088 CZK
Health insurance, 13.5% of the higher actual/minimum annual base (293,802 CZK) 39,664 CZK
Total under 60% flat expenses 157,912 CZK
Paušální daň, band I (12 × CZK 9,162) 109,944 CZK
Annual saving with paušální daň 47,968 CZK

The combined tax, social and health insurance under 60% flat expenses is 157,912 CZK a year; paušální daň in band I is 109,944 CZK. The calculation uses the 15% income tax rate under § 16 of Act No. 586/1992 Coll. and the CZK 30,840 personal tax credit under § 35ba(1)(a) of the same Act, plus the ČSSZ rate of 29.2% of 55% of the base and the VZP rate of 13.5% on the higher of 50% of the tax base or the applicable statutory minimum. The tax base here stays below the threshold at which § 16's 23% rate starts, so only 15% is applied. VZP: 2026 minimum monthly base CZK 24,483.50; exceptions assessed separately.

Worked example B: at the ceiling, 166,667 CZK/month (2,000,000 CZK/year)

The highest annual income at which paušální daň is still available. With 100% in the 60% category, this meets the condition for band II's extended ceiling (CZK 2,000,000), so band II applies, not band III. The model assumes main self-employment throughout 2026, Czech public health insurance, the minimum health base applying for all 12 months and only the basic personal tax credit. Annual health insurance uses the higher actual/minimum base and is rounded upward once, not calculated as twelve rounded advances. Both sample incomes put the social assessment base above the ordinary minimum. Exemptions, a shorter activity period or other insurance change the result.

Annual income 2,000,000 CZK
60% flat expenses (60% of 2,000,000 CZK) 1,200,000 CZK
Tax base (2,000,000 CZK − 1,200,000 CZK) 800,000 CZK
15% tax on the base (120,000 CZK) minus the 30,840 CZK personal credit 89,160 CZK
Social insurance, 29.2% of 55% of the base (440,000 CZK) 128,480 CZK
Health insurance, 13.5% of the higher actual/minimum annual base (400,000 CZK) 54,000 CZK
Total under 60% flat expenses 271,640 CZK
Paušální daň, band II (12 × CZK 16,745) 200,940 CZK
Annual saving with paušální daň 70,700 CZK

The combined total under 60% flat expenses is 271,640 CZK a year; paušální daň in band II is 200,940 CZK. One koruna higher — above CZK 2,000,000 annual income — paušální daň ends in every band.

Above the CZK 2,000,000 limit

A contractor on CZK 200,000/month invoices 2,400,000 CZK a year — above the 2,000,000 CZK limit, paušální daň cannot be used in any band, regardless of expense category. They must switch to actual expenses or 60% flat expenses with a standard tax return.

Foreign income alone does not establish Czech VAT-payer status. The relevant domestic-turnover thresholds are 2,000,000 CZK and 2,536,500 CZK under § 6(1) and (2) of Act No. 235/2004 Coll.. The combination of paušální daň ending and VAT-payer status starting is why, near 2,000,000 CZK a year, both conditions should be checked together, not separately.

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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

VERIFIED

Verified

Primary sources for the bands, conditions and limit described above.

  1. Czech Financial Administration — 2026 paušální daň information
  2. Czech Financial Administration — press release on the band I advance cut from 1 July 2026
  3. Act No. 586/1992 Coll., on Income Tax — § 2a, § 7a, § 15, § 35ba
  4. Act No. 235/2004 Coll., on VAT — § 6, § 6i

Send your income, we calculate your band

Approximate monthly income, real cost share and current status (OSVČ / identified person / VAT payer) is enough for a first written reply.

FAQ Frequently asked questions
01 Do I lose paušální daň if I become an identified person?
No. The condition for paušální daň is that you are not a VAT payer and have no VAT registration duty — with an explicit exception for identified-person registration (§ 2a(1)(a)(3) of Act No. 586/1992 Coll.). You still need to file an EC Sales List for months with a supply into the EU.
02 Which band applies at CZK 1,200,000 annual income?
If at least 75% of your income falls into the 60% or 80% expense category (typical for IT contractors and consultants), band I's extended ceiling of CZK 1,500,000 applies — so CZK 1,200,000 stays in band I, not band II.
03 What happens if I exceed CZK 2,000,000 mid-year?
The paušální regime ends on the last day of the month in which you exceeded it. For the rest of the year you file a standard tax return and ČSSZ/VZP overviews using actual or flat expenses.
04 Does identified-person status also mean I must file a standard VAT return?
No, becoming an identified person alone does not require that — you only file an EC Sales List for months with a relevant supply. A standard VAT return applies only to specific received supplies the law requires it for, or once you become an actual VAT payer.
05 Does paušální daň pay off even with higher costs, like subcontractors?
Not always. Paušální daň is fixed regardless of actual expenses — for a contractor with a low cost ratio (typically IT with no subcontractors) it usually comes out cheaper, but at a high cost ratio actual expenses can pay off more.
06 Did bands II and III change on 1 July 2026 the same way as band I?
No. The advance cut from 1 July 2026 applied only to band I (from CZK 9,984 to CZK 9,162 a month, retroactive to 1 January 2026). Band II (16,745 CZK) and band III (27,139 CZK) advances stayed unchanged (Czech Financial Administration).
07 Can I choose a higher band than my income requires?
Yes, you can voluntarily opt into a higher band (e.g. as a buffer for income swings), but not a lower band than your actual income requires.
08 Does income with place of supply outside Czechia count toward the CZK 2,000,000 limit?
Yes, the limit is based on total annual income from self-employment under the Income Tax Act, regardless of where the supply's place of taxation sits for VAT purposes.
09 Is paušální daň the same as the 60% flat-expense regime?
No. 60% flat expenses are a way of computing the tax base in a standard return (actual income minus a flat percentage). Paušální daň is a separate regime with one fixed monthly payment replacing tax and contributions regardless of actual expenses.
10 What happens to the overpayment for January to June 2026?
The band I reduction applies retroactively from 1 January 2026, so anyone still paying CZK 9,984 paid CZK 822 too much each month: 6 × CZK 822 = CZK 4,932 overpaid for the first half of the year. The Financial Administration records that overpayment on your personal tax account (Czech Financial Administration, press release); the new CZK 9,162 advance applies from July 2026.
11 Does band I's CZK 2,000,000 ceiling apply to an IT contractor?
No. Band I has three ceilings: CZK 1,000,000 with no condition, CZK 1,500,000 with at least 75% of income in the 60% or 80% expense category, and CZK 2,000,000 only with at least 75% in the 80% category (Czech Financial Administration). An IT contractor on a free trade licence sits in the 60% category, so the CZK 1,500,000 ceiling applies.
12 When does it make sense to switch from paušální daň back to actual expenses?
Typically with high real costs (subcontractors, office, employees) or a drop in income, where paušální daň in your current band would cost more than actual contributions. Run both scenarios on real numbers before the tax period ends.

NEXT

Related services and guides

01

IT contractor taxes in the Czech Republic

The full picture: OSVČ setup, identified-person status, flat-rate expenses vs paušální daň, and švarcsystém at a glance.

02

Švarcsystém — signs and risks

The statutory definition, the signs labour inspectors assess, and fines under § 139 and § 140.

03

Invoicing foreign clients from the Czech Republic

Place of supply, reverse charge, identified-person status and the EC Sales List for a Czech OSVČ invoicing abroad.

04

Flat tax vs standard tax calculator

Run paušální daň against actual contributions on your own numbers.

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