Alta Banka Licence Revoked: Tax Steps for Companies and Entrepreneurs (November 2026)

On 31 October 2026 the National Bank of Serbia revoked the operating licence of Alta banka a.d. Beograd. Payments through the bank have been blocked since 30 October. Once the Commercial Court in Belgrade opens bankruptcy, the Deposit Insurance Agency takes over as bankruptcy administrator.

If your company or your entrepreneur account was at Alta, one thing does not change: your tax deadlines. As of 31 October, neither the Tax Administration nor the Ministry of Finance has announced any relief. This guide covers what is due in November, what to do about payments that did not go through, and what the deposit insurance covers. I will update it if the authorities announce measures.

What is due in November

- Monday 2 November: if September salaries were not paid, file PPP-PD and pay contributions on the minimum base.

- Monday 16 November (the 15th is a Sunday): VAT return and payment, the monthly corporate income tax advance, monthly tax and contributions for entrepreneurs, paušalci included, and contributions for founders (PP OD-O).

- Monday 30 November: the same minimum-base rule applies to October salaries that are still unpaid.

Late payment costs interest at the NBS reference rate plus 10 percentage points, calculated as simple interest from the day after the deadline. With the reference rate at 5.75%, that is currently 15.75% a year.

Payments that did not go through

An order Alta did not execute did not pay anything. If you sent a tax, salary or supplier payment from Alta on 30 October or later, check whether it arrived. Until a tax payment shows on your tax account with the Tax Administration, treat the tax as unpaid and pay it from another account.

Paying from another account

You do not have to wait for a new company account to pay taxes. The Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration allows a third party to pay a taxpayer's tax (Article 19). The founder can, for example, pay the company's VAT from a personal account, using the company's payment details and reference number (poziv na broj).

Salaries are different. The bank releases a salary payment only together with the taxes and contributions from the PPP-PD, so for salaries you need a company account at another bank.

New account and your clients

- Open an account at another bank now. The bank reports it to the NBS Unified Account Register, and there is nothing to file with the Business Registers Agency (APR).

- Send clients your new account number and update it on your invoices. Money sent to Alta will not reach you while payments are blocked.

- Expecting a tax refund? Tell your Tax Administration branch in writing which account to use, for example for a VAT refund.

Deposits: what is insured

Deposit insurance covers natural persons, entrepreneurs (paušalci included) and micro, small and medium-sized companies, up to EUR 50,000 per depositor, with all accounts at the bank added together. Payouts start no later than seven working days after the court opens bankruptcy. Within three working days of that decision, the Deposit Insurance Agency publishes which bank pays out and where.

Large companies are not insured, and amounts above EUR 50,000 are not paid out by the Agency. Both are claimed in the bankruptcy, within the deadline the court sets in its call for claims.

If you cannot pay on time

If your money is stuck in the bankruptcy and paying taxes on time would cause serious economic harm, you can ask the Tax Administration to defer the payment (Article 73 of the Law on Tax Procedure and Tax Administration). The request has to explain why paying now would cause that harm.

Frequently asked questions

Do tax deadlines move because Alta banka lost its licence?

No. As of 31 October 2026 no relief has been announced, so all November deadlines apply.

Can someone else pay my company's tax?

Yes. The law allows a third party to pay a taxpayer's tax, for example the founder from a personal account, with the company's payment details and reference number.

Are company deposits at Alta banka insured?

Entrepreneurs and micro, small and medium-sized companies are insured up to EUR 50,000 per depositor. Large companies are not insured and claim in the bankruptcy.

When will insured deposits be paid out?

No later than seven working days after the Commercial Court in Belgrade opens bankruptcy. The Deposit Insurance Agency announces the paying bank and place within three working days of that decision.

Do I have to report my new account to APR or the Tax Administration?

Not to APR: the bank reports the new account to the NBS register. If you expect a tax refund, tell the Tax Administration in writing which account to use.

Was your company or business account at Alta banka? I check what is due, which payments did not go through and how to pay them from another account. Where the money is stuck in the bankruptcy, I prepare the request to defer the tax. Fixed fee, reply within 24 hours. Get in touch.