How to Pay Tax in Montenegro
A practical guide to paying personal taxes in Montenegro: which payment accounts receive income tax and contributions (single account 820-30000-74), VAT, surtax, property tax and real-estate transfer tax (municipal accounts); what to enter in the payment-order fields “poziv na broj zaduženja”, “model 18” and “poziv na broj odobrenja” (PIB or JMB + municipality code); when a payment counts as made; the late-payment interest rate (ECB rate + 3 percentage points); and how to check your account card or reclaim a wrong payment via IRMS.
Procedure
State public revenues (personal income tax and contributions, VAT, corporate tax, excise, Tax Administration fines) are collected by the Tax Administration on the group-820 recording accounts. Local public revenues (surtax on income tax, property tax, sojourn tax, local fees and charges) are collected by municipalities on their own accounts under Art. 3 of the Order. Real-estate transfer tax has, since 2024, been assessed and collected by the competent local-government tax office of the municipality where the property is located, paid to that municipality's own account — not to the old state account 820-13111-10 listed in the Order. In Podgorica this is the Uprava lokalnih javnih prihoda, account 540-3028020-38 (per the PR-OPPN form, citing Art. 2 of the Real-Estate Transfer Tax Law and Art. 7 of the Law on Financing Local Self-Government); for property in another municipality, get the exact account from that municipality's tax office. Accounts are prescribed by the Ministry of Finance (Art. 50 para. 4 of the Tax Administration Law) in the Order on the method of paying public revenues.
Municipal assessment decisions (property tax) state the account and reference number — copy them exactly.
State payment accounts of the Tax Administration (Order Art. 2)
| Public revenue | Account | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Personal income tax + contributions (single account) | 820-30000-74 | GPP-FL, IOPPD, tax on rent/capital/capital gains, entrepreneurs' advances, contributions |
| Value added tax | 820-15111-24 | VAT return |
| VAT on services of foreign persons | 820-15112-21 | Reverse charge on services from abroad |
| Real-estate transfer tax | Municipal account (since 2024, not 820-13111-10) — e.g. Podgorica: 540-3028020-38 | PR-OPPN — filed and paid to the municipal tax office |
| Fines imposed by the Tax Administration | 820-19200-76 | Tax Administration misdemeanour orders |
| Sojourn tax / tourist tax — National Tourism Organisation | 832-3205-88 / 832-3206-85 | NTO's own recording accounts (Order Art. 2); an individual accommodation provider pays sojourn tax to their municipality's account (see the municipal accounts table), not to these |
Payment-order fields for payments to the Tax Administration (Order Art. 4)
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Poziv na broj zaduženja (debit reference) | Obligation period (month and year); for payroll tax and contributions also the number of employees |
| Transakcioni račun primaoca (beneficiary account) | Account from the Order (e.g. 820-30000-74) |
| Model | 18 |
| Poziv na broj odobrenja (credit reference) | PIB (8) or JMB (13) – municipality code (3), separated by a hyphen |
| Municipality code | Individual's residence (single tax-and-contributions account); property location (transfer tax); taxpayer's seat (VAT, excise, corporate tax) |
Municipal accounts: surtax, property tax, sojourn tax (Order Art. 3)
| Municipality | Surtax on income tax | Property tax | Sojourn tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Podgorica (Glavni grad) | 540-3028009-71 | 540-3028014-56 | 540-3023205-30 |
| Cetinje (Prijestonica) | 540-3108009-49 | 540-3108014-34 | 540-3103205-08 |
| Budva | 510-8178009-29 | 510-8178014-14 | 510-8173205-85 |
| Bar | 510-8098009-51 | 510-8098014-36 | 510-8093205-10 |
| Kotor | 530-9228009-77 | 530-9228014-62 | 530-9223205-36 |
| Tivat | 510-9148009-29 | 510-9148014-14 | 510-9143205-85 |
| Herceg Novi | 510-9068009-51 | 510-9068014-36 | 510-9063205-10 |
| Ulcinj | 540-82580090-09 | 540-82580140-53 | 540-82532050-84 |
| Nikšić | 530-4008009-09 | 530-4008014-91 | 530-4003205-65 |
| Danilovgrad | 510-3298009-13 | 510-3298014-95 | 510-3293205-69 |
| Tuzi | 530-3378009-61 | 530-3378014-46 | 530-3373205-20 |
| Zeta | 535-3458009-08 | 535-3458014-90 | — |
| Bijelo Polje | 510-7018009-57 | 510-7018014-42 | 510-7013205-16 |
| Berane | 530-6048009-30 | 530-6048014-15 | 530-6043205-86 |
| Kolašin | 540-7288009-15 | 540-7288014-97 | 540-7283205-71 |
| Žabljak | 510-5158009-35 | 510-5158014-20 | 510-5153205-91 |
| Pljevlja | 535-5078009-96 | 535-5078014-81 (za zaostale obaveze) | 535-5073204-58 |
| Rožaje | 510-6208009-13 | 510-6208014-95 | 510-6203205-69 |
| Plav | 535-6128009-74 | 535-6128014-59 | 535-6123205-33 |
| Gusinje | 535-6558009-77 | 535-6558014-62 | 535-6553205-36 |
| Andrijevica | 535-6398009-24 | 535-6398014-09 | 535-6393205-80 |
| Mojkovac | 535-7108009-47 | 535-7108014-32 | 535-7103205-06 |
| Petnjica | 565-6478009-10 | 565-6478014-92 | — |
| Plužine | 535-4268009-52 | 535-4268014-37 | 535-4263205-11 |
| Šavnik | 535-4188009-74 | 535-4188014-59 | 535-4183205-33 |
Payment deadlines for individuals (Tax Administration calendar, 18.11.2025)
| Obligation | Payment deadline |
|---|---|
| GPP-FL — annual income tax | 30 April (together with the return) |
| IOPPD — payroll tax and contributions | On each payment; return by the 15th for the previous month |
| Entrepreneur advances (actual income / lump sum) | By the end of the current month for the previous one (1/12) |
| VAT | By the 15th for the previous month |
| Real-estate transfer tax (PR-OPPN) | Together with the return, within 15 days of acquisition |
| Used-vehicle transfer tax (PPR-MV) | 15 days from acquisition |
| Obligation under a tax decision | 10 days from delivery (unless the law says otherwise) |
| Property tax (municipality) | 30 June and 31 October |
Additional notes
State: 16 Aug 2026. The Order on paying public revenues was last amended by Off. Gazette 81/24 (per gov.me documents); if the Ministry of Finance issues a new Order, accounts may change — always check the number against your slip/decision.
Annex 1 of the Order (municipality codes) is not included in the Order's text on gov.me — the code appears on the payment slip generated by IRMS or is available from call centre 19707.
Payments to group-820 accounts are not booked if the credit reference (PIB/JMB) is missing or wrong — a redirect request via IRMS is then needed.
Real-estate transfer tax: since 1 Jan 2024 the municipal tax office is competent (see the PR-OPPN guide), and payment goes to that municipality's own account, not to the state account 820-13111-10 (confirmed for Podgorica: 540-3028020-38) — get the exact payment instructions from the municipality where the property is located.
Required Documents
- Payment account number from the Order / decision / IRMS slip
- PIB (legal entities, foreigners) or JMB (individuals) and municipality code (Annex 1 of the Order)
- The return or decision you are paying under (GPP-FL, IOPPD, PR-OPPN, municipal decision)
- For refunds: proof of payment (bank statement) and bank account number
Legal Basis
- Order on the method of paying public revenues — consolidated text (Off. Gazette 121/23, 81/24)
- Order on the method of paying public revenues (Off. Gazette 121/23) — base text
- Order amending the Order on the method of paying public revenues (Off. Gazette 81/24)
- Tax Administration Law — consolidated text (Off. Gazette 65/01 … 104/26): Art. 27, 50, 51, 95, 96, 97
- Tax Administration — Tax calendar (filing and payment deadlines)
- IRMS — User manual “Povraćaj i preusmjer pogrešno ili više uplaćenih sredstava” (01.01.2026)
- Podgorica local-revenue office — PR-OPPN form (payment account for real-estate transfer tax)
Competent Institutions
- Tax Administration of Montenegro — IRMS portal
Account card, refund/redirect, eSanduče
- Tax Administration — call centre 19707
Checking accounts and municipality codes
- Ministry of Finance
Prescribes payment accounts (the Order)
- Municipal local-revenue office
Surtax, property tax, sojourn tax, real-estate transfer tax
- ePlaćanje — Government of Montenegro portal
Electronic payment of administrative fees and charges (not taxes to the Tax Administration)
FAQ
To which account is the tax under the annual GPP-FL return paid?+
To the Single account for personal income tax and mandatory social contributions 820-30000-74, model 18, credit reference = your JMB (or PIB) – municipality code of your residence, debit reference = the obligation period. The tax is paid together with the return, by 30 April.
What is “model 18” and what goes into the reference numbers?+
Model 18 is the validation number for paying public revenues under the Tax Administration (820 accounts). In the credit reference enter the PIB (8 characters) or JMB (13 characters), a hyphen and the three-digit municipality code from Annex 1 of the Order; in the debit reference the month and year of the obligation (for payroll also the number of employees).
I paid tax to the wrong account — what now?+
In the IRMS portal start the case “Povraćaj i preusmjer pogrešno ili više uplaćenih sredstava”: choose the reason, the amount and whether you want a refund to your bank account or a redirect to another obligation/PIB, submit and sign with your certificate. The Tax Administration must decide and process the refund within 5 working days of receiving the request (Art. 97 para. 4 of the Tax Administration Law); overpaid tax also earns interest (Art. 96).
How much interest if I pay late?+
Default interest accrues daily from the day after the due date at the ECB main refinancing rate (on the first day of the half-year) plus three percentage points; the Tax Administration publishes the rate half-yearly (Art. 95 of the Tax Administration Law). A payment is booked first against tax, then interest.
Related guides
Income Tax in Montenegro
Rates 0/9/15% + municipal surtax 10-15%, €700 deduction, 10.5% contributions
Annual Personal Tax Return (GPP-FL)
Annual income tax, GPP-FL form, April 30 deadline, all income sources
Annual Property Tax
Annual tax for owners, rates 0.25–1 % (secondary residence up to 1.5 %), 20–50 % relief, deadlines 30 June and 31 October
Tax Certificate via IRMS
How to get a tax-clearance, income or residency certificate through the IRMS portal