As every year, the tax return filing season is here. You should not neglect settling your tax obligations. Even a small mistake in the tax return preparation process can have serious consequences. Therefore, it is essential to pay special attention to details when preparing tax returns for individuals for the tax period 2024.

Who is required to file a tax return?

An individual is required to file a Slovak personal income tax return for 2024 if they earned total taxable income exceeding €2,823.24 in 2024 (excluding income that has already been settled through withholding tax, such as interest on a Slovak bank account) or if they report a tax loss. Total taxable income includes income that is subject to taxation and is not tax-exempt.

If you are a taxpayer with unlimited tax liability in Slovakia, meaning a Slovak tax resident, you must also include foreign taxable income in your total income.

Additionally, if you did not request your Slovak employer to perform an annual tax reconciliation for 2024 within the deadline of February 17, 2025, and your taxable income exceeded €2,823.24, you are required to file a tax return yourself.

In some cases, filing a tax return may be beneficial even if you are not legally required to do so. This could apply if tax prepayments were withheld from your income during the year or if you are eligible for various tax benefits, such as the non-taxable portion of the tax base for the taxpayer, a tax bonus for a dependent child or a tax bonus for mortgage interest among others.

What is the deadline for filing a tax return in Slovakia?

The statutory deadline for filing the Slovak personal income tax return for 2024 is March 31, 2025.

However, this deadline can be extended by up to 3 additional months (i.e., until June 30, 2025) or up to 6 additional months (i.e., until September 30, 2025) if you are a Slovak tax resident with foreign income. The extension is granted upon submitting a notification of deadline extension to the tax authority no later than March 31, 2025.

How can I file a tax return?

You have several options:

• In person – By visiting the tax office in Slovakia. We recommend requesting proof of submission using the form “Proof of filing a personal income tax return for 2024” and keeping this confirmation for your records.
• By mail – To avoid waiting times at tax office, you can file your tax return by mail. We recommend sending the signed tax return along with the required attachments in an envelope via mail and keeping the receipt for your records.
• Electronically – Entrepreneurs (self-employed individuals) are required to communicate with the tax authority exclusively electronically. You can submit your tax return electronically via the Slovak Financial Administration’s website using an eID (Slovak electronic ID card with a chip) or authorize a tax advisor to file it on your behalf through a granted power of attorney.

Tax due

If the taxpayer has a tax due based on their tax return, they must pay it by the tax return filing deadline to the Slovak tax authority’s designated bank account (so called “tax account number”). If the taxpayer has not received their assigned tax account number by the deadline for filing the tax return, they must pay the tax due within 8 days of receiving this notification.

The date of payment is considered the day the amount is debited from the taxpayer’s account or the date the cash payment is received by the postal service for transfer to the tax authority’s account.

Tax overpayment

If a tax overpayment arises, the amount will be refunded to you no later than 40 days from the date it occurs, i.e., from the day following the tax return filing deadline. For the 2024 tax period, the filing deadline is March 31, 2025. Any tax overpayment, tax bonus for a dependent child (children), tax bonus on mortgage interest, or employee bonus will be refunded no later than May 9, 2025.

Penalties

Failure to file a tax return within the legal deadline will result in a fine ranging from €30 to €16,000. The exact amount of the fine depends on the severity, duration, and possible consequences of the violation.

If it is your first tax offense, the Slovak tax authority applies a “second chance” rule and does not impose a fine. However, for repeated violations, a penalty will be applied.

Failing to pay income tax on time can be costly. The tax authority will impose late payment interest, which accrues daily from the day following the due date until the tax is paid. The sooner you pay the tax, the lower the interest charge. The calculation is based on the European Central Bank’s base interest rate on the day the tax debt arises. If four times this rate does not reach 15%, a fixed annual rate of 15% applies.

The tax authority does not impose late payment interest if the total amount is less than €5. The final amount is rounded down to the nearest ten euro cents.

To avoid unnecessary penalties, we recommend paying the tax on time and paying close attention to deadlines.

What to do if you discover an error in your filed tax return?

If you find an error in your tax return after submission, you can file a supplementary personal income tax return. You are required to do so if the calculated tax should have been higher, your tax obligation should have been greater than what was assessed, or if the reported tax loss was lower than originally stated.

We recommend filing the supplementary tax return as soon as you identify discrepancies in the tax calculation. The penalty for filing the supplementary tax return depends on whether you report the increased tax liability yourself or if the Slovak tax authority discovers it. The minimum fine is 1% of the assessed tax or 1% of the difference in tax liability. The maximum fine cannot exceed the total assessed tax amount. If an amended tax return reduces your tax obligation, no penalty applies.

If you need assistance with your personal income tax return in Slovakia, do not hesitate to contact us.

Michaela Salayová

Senior Tax Manager | Accace Slovakia

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