Tax return. An Order of the Head of the Tax Authorities approved the amended corporate income tax return and its completion rules. The rules state that advance payments of corporate income tax for the first to the third quarter of 2009 have to be calculated based on the actual corporate income tax paid in the previous year. However, the corporate income tax rate applicable in 2009 should be applied.
Business trips. At the end of February amendments to the rules on deductibility of business trips were approved. The main change is the increase of the per day allowance for business trips in Lithuania. Since the end of February, the minimum per day allowance should be at least 19,5 litas (as against the amount of 15,6 applied before).
Social contributions. Amendments to the payment of compulsory health insurance and state social security contributions were approved.
For the period of 2009-2010 a cap on social security contributions regarding income from copyright agreements will be applied. The contributions will be calculated only on income not exceeding 5,952 litas per month or 71,424 litas per year.
A transitional period is introduced for social security contributions on income from self-employed activities, income of lawyers and notaries, members of general partnerships and owners of individual enterprises. The social security contribution rates will be 10% for 2009, 20% for 2010 and 28.5% for 2011 on the annual taxable income. Furthermore a cap is introduced for the period of 2009-2010, when the contributions will be calculated on an annual income not exceeding 71,424 litas.
Compulsory health insurance contributions on income for self-employed activities will be calculated on the minimal monthly salary. Individuals who receive also employment-related income or whose insurance is paid from the State budget, may pay their health insurance payments until 1 May of the following year.