All private legal, medical workers to pay VAT

TIRANA, Jan. 12 – Government approved on Wednesday a decision removing the value added threshold for private legal and health workers making them all subject to the 20 percent VAT for the services they offer.
The new changes will oblige all lawyers, notaries, specialized doctors, dentists pharmacists, nurses, vets, architects, medical laboratory workers, accountants, and economic activity in hotels to all pay VAT despite their annual turnover.
The decision will be effective starting from February 1, 2011, says the government decision.
Last year, government introduced for the first time VAT for fees charged for services offered by lawyers, doctors, engineers and economists.
The minimum threshold of VAT registration for taxpayers offering these services was put at 2 million lek (20,000 dollars) of annual turnover, according to the government decision. Representatives of these professions say the changes will directly affect customers who are expected to pay 20 percent more for legal, medicine and economy services.