Ljubljana - While in 2020 much less tax revenue was collected due to the epidemic, last year again saw an upward trend, as the amount was significantly up on both 2020 and the pre-Covid year 2019. The Financial Administration (FURS) collected 18% more taxes and other levies than in 2020, and 9.3% more than in 2019.

The year of 2020 was the first year to have seen a decline in tax collection since 2014, when FURS was established through the merger of the national tax and customs administrations, but the upward trend is now back.

Last year, the tax authorities collected EUR 19.2 billion in revenue, according to preliminary figures.

All public financing resources, meaning the state budget, the pension and disability insurance fund, the public health fund and municipal budgets, received more revenue than in 2020. An upward trend was recorded for all major types of levies, FURS said in a press release.

Income and profit taxes collected in 2021 totalled almost EUR 4 billion, a 21.6% increase on 2020.

FURS also collected 16.2% more domestic taxes on goods and services. The VAT take was up by 19.8% to EUR 4.2 billion, while the collected excise duties increased by 11.8%.

Social security contributions, which are mainly paid into the pension and health funds and to a lesser extent into the state budget, rose by 18.5% to EUR 7.9 billion.

If funds paid "bypassing" FURS as a result of the Covid-related exemption measure had been added to this revenue in 2020, then the figure would be higher by 8.6% year-on-year.

Tax collection has been affected by Covid relief legislation, FURS said. As a result, some of the measures taken under the emergency legislation had a positive effect on tax collection, while others had a negative effect.

When it comes to tax debt, FURS noted that it had continued to fall in 2021. On the last day of last year, interim figures show that it stood at EUR 916.8 million for all public finance coffers, down 8.1% on the previous year.

The positive trend of a falling tax debt has been recorded ever since FURS was established. It dropped by 35.5% or EUR 504.5 million since 2014.