Liquidating a d.o.o. in Montenegro
How to close a d.o.o. in Montenegro under the new Companies Act (Off. Gazette CG 90/25, 121/25): voluntary liquidation step by step (2/3 decision, liquidator, 30-day creditor call, opening and closing liquidation balance sheets, deletion from CRPS), the faster shortened procedure with notarised member statements, tax obligations (PD return within 3 months, VAT deregistration, 15 % withholding on the liquidation surplus) and what forced liquidation means if a company fails to file financial statements for two years.
Procedure
Liquidation is the procedure leading to deletion from CRPS and is carried out only if the value of assets exceeds liabilities on the day of the decision (Art. 603 para. 1). If during the procedure the assets prove insufficient, the liquidator must file for bankruptcy within 30 days of learning this (Art. 603 para. 3). A company in liquidation keeps its legal personality and adds "u likvidaciji" to its business name (Art. 605, Art. 23 para. 7). Before deciding, check: tax debt (Tax Administration certificate), account blockade (CBCG list), pending disputes and unpaid employees — these determine whether the shortened procedure is available.
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Regular vs. shortened voluntary liquidation
| Regular procedure (Art. 606–618) | Shortened procedure (Art. 619) | |
|---|---|---|
| Condition | Assets > liabilities; decision by 2/3 of votes | Same + notarised statements of ALL members that all liabilities (incl. employees) are settled and they agree |
| Liquidator | Mandatory (or all representatives by law) | No liquidation proceedings; CRPS deletes the company based on the decision |
| Publication and creditor deadline | 30 days to file claims from publication on CRPS | 30 days of publication; creditors may sue to annul the decision |
| Balance sheets and reports | Opening balance (30 days), opening report (90 days), closing balance, final report | None |
| Deletion conditions | All creditors paid, disputes ended, completion decision | No tax debt, not blocked (CBCG), no lawsuit within 30 days |
| Members' liability after deletion | Joint, up to the surplus received, 3 years | UNLIMITED joint liability, 3 years; members' names and JMB entered in CRPS |
Deadlines in the liquidation procedure
| Action | Deadline | Companies Act article |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery of the liquidation and liquidator decisions to CRPS | 7 days from adoption | Art. 356 para. 2, Art. 433 |
| Written notice to known creditors | 15 days from start | Art. 612 para. 2 |
| Creditors' filing of claims | 30 days from publication on CRPS | Art. 612 para. 1 |
| Opening liquidation balance sheet / adoption | 30 days / 30 days | Art. 610 para. 1–2 |
| Opening liquidation report / adoption / registration in CRPS | 90 days / 30 days / 15 days | Art. 610 para. 3–6 |
| Disputing claims / creditor lawsuit | 30 days / 8 days | Art. 613 para. 2 and 4 |
| Annual liquidation report | 3 months after the business year; CRPS within 15 days | Art. 611 |
| Bankruptcy petition if assets are insufficient | 30 days from learning | Art. 603 para. 3 |
| Shortened procedure — publication and lawsuit period | 30 days | Art. 619 para. 3–4 |
| Corporate income tax return for the liquidation period | 3 months from the end of the period | CIT Law Art. 40 para. 3 |
| Closure of business premises (fiscalisation) | 5 days before | Fiscalisation Law Art. 14 para. 6 |
Forced and court liquidation — when the state closes the company
| Ground | Procedure | Companies Act article |
|---|---|---|
| Company fails to file annual financial statements with the Tax Administration for two consecutive business years | Tax Administration notifies CRPS → CRPS decides on forced liquidation, publishes it for at least 30 days → deletion decision within a further 15 days; assets pass to members, who are liable up to the value received for 3 years; no CRPS changes or dividend payments during the procedure | Art. 622–625 |
| Company without a legal representative for more than 3 months; activity ban or licence revocation without opening liquidation within 30 days; annulled incorporation etc. | Court liquidation at the request of an interested party or ex officio, applying bankruptcy rules | Art. 620–621 |
Additional notes
The Companies Act (Off. Gazette 90/25) applies from 1.1.2026; decisions to open the shortened voluntary liquidation procedure are published daily on the IRMS portal (Announcements), confirming the procedure is fully in use.
The shortened procedure is faster, but for three years after deletion the members are UNLIMITEDLY jointly liable for the company's obligations and their names, JMB and addresses are entered in CRPS (Art. 619 para. 8 and 10). In the regular procedure liability is limited to the surplus received (Art. 618 para. 2).
Liquidation may be stopped by a general-meeting decision and the company may continue trading — only if all creditors have been paid and no payments to members have started (Art. 614).
For a dormant d.o.o.: there is no 'dormancy' status in the Companies Act; a company that fails to file financial statements two years in a row goes into forced liquidation (Art. 622). An entrepreneur may register a suspension of activity in CRPS (Art. 90), during which the contribution obligation is suspended (Art. 20 of the Contributions Law).
The Tax Administration (29.6.2026) reminds that in liquidation the capital gain is determined as if the assets were sold at market price (Art. 27 CIT Law) and that a liquidation remainder paid to a non-resident legal entity is subject to 15 % withholding tax, applying double-taxation treaties.
Questions and support: IRMS portal (https://irms.tax.gov.me/public/), e-mail [email protected], tel. 19707; documents for CRPS publication: [email protected].
Required Documents
- General-meeting decision to open voluntary liquidation (2/3 of votes) with creditor call and liquidator appointment
- Notarised statements of all members (shortened procedure)
- Tax Administration certificate on settled liabilities
- Opening liquidation balance sheet and opening liquidation report
- Corporate income tax return for the liquidation period, stock inventory and VAT calculation
- Closing liquidation balance sheet, final report, liquidator's statement, decision on completion and surplus distribution
- Proof of CRPS fee payment (amount set by the Government of Montenegro)
Legal Basis
- Companies Act (Off. Gazette CG 90/25, 121/25) — Part eleven: Liquidation (Art. 603–626), Art. 356/433 (registration of changes), Art. 23 para. 7, Art. 6
- Companies Act — text on gov.me
- Corporate Income Tax Law — Art. 27 (capital gain in liquidation), Art. 29 (withholding on the liquidation remainder), Art. 39–40 (tax period, return)
- VAT Law — Art. 56 (termination of VAT registration)
- Tax Administration — Notice on the tax treatment of share transfers (29.6.2026) and Tax calendar
- Law on Registration of Business and Other Entities (Off. Gazette CG 92/2025, 121/2025) — Art. 42 (CRPS registration fees; amount set by the Government of Montenegro)
- Personal Income Tax Law — Art. 37 para. 1 item 3a (liquidation remainder as capital income), Art. 50 (15 % withholding tax)
- Accounting Law (Off. Gazette CG 84/25) — Art. 14 (retention of accounting records and business books)
Competent Institutions
- Central Register of Business Entities (CRPS) — IRMS portal
Registration of the liquidation decision, publication, deletion decision
- Tax Administration of Montenegro
Certificate on settled liabilities, PD return, VAT deregistration, notifying CRPS for forced liquidation
- Central Bank of Montenegro
List of blocked business entities (condition for the shortened procedure)
- Notary
Notarisation of member statements for the shortened procedure
- Commercial Court
Court liquidation, bankruptcy, disputes over contested claims
FAQ
How long does the shortened liquidation of a d.o.o. take?+
The decision with notarised statements of all members is published on the CRPS website for 30 days; if no creditor sues within that period and the company has no tax debt and is not blocked, CRPS issues the deletion decision (Art. 619). Count on at least 5–6 weeks plus the time to prepare documents and tax certificates.
Who is liable for the company's debts after deletion?+
In the shortened procedure the members are unlimitedly jointly liable for three years after deletion (Art. 619 para. 8). In the regular procedure d.o.o. members are jointly liable only up to the liquidation surplus received, also for three years (Art. 618 para. 2). The liquidator is liable for damage caused to members and creditors (Art. 617).
What happens if a company simply stops filing its accounts?+
If it fails to file annual financial statements with the Tax Administration for two consecutive business years, the Tax Administration notifies CRPS, which opens forced liquidation: the decision is published for at least 30 days, then the company is deleted within 15 days; assets pass to the members, who are liable up to the value received for three years (Art. 622–625). During the procedure the company cannot change CRPS data or pay dividends.
Which tax returns are filed in liquidation?+
The corporate income tax return (PD) with financial statements for the liquidation period within three months of the end of that period (Art. 40 para. 3 CIT Law; Tax Administration calendar). A VAT payer charges VAT on stock and acquired goods before deregistration (Art. 56 VAT Law). The liquidation remainder paid to legal entities is subject to 15 % withholding tax (Art. 29 para. 1 item 3).
Can the liquidation be stopped?+
Yes — the general meeting may (by the same majority as for opening) decide to stop the liquidation and continue business, provided all creditors have been paid, no employee was dismissed because of the liquidation and no payments to members have started; the decision appoints a new legal representative and is registered in CRPS (Art. 614).
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