Tax collection rate improves in early 2011

TIRANA, March 7 – The tax and customs administration continued their positive performance even during the first two months of this year, slightly exceeding the set targets. Official data show the tax administration collected 12.4 billion lek in February 2011, up 1.2 billion lek year-on-year, mainly because of higher revenues from social security contributions, excise taxes and VAT. Data show some 3,173 new taxpayers were registered this year. The tax administration suffered from lower revenues in 2010 even after major budget cuts in mid-2010 which lowering revenue targets.
Meanwhile, the customs administration which in 2010 collected an extra 13.4 percent more compared to 2009 continued its positive performance. PM Berisha said budget revenues in the first two months of 2011 had increased by 12 percent year-on-year while Made in Albania exports rose 150 percent. In its annual report, the tax administration said it had fulfilled its 2010 performance with an extra 2 percent of expected revenues, which was mainly a result of increased excise taxes for some products and lowering VAT threshold to 5 million lek of annual turnover compared to 8 million lek in 2009.
This year, government has planned an 11 percent growth in revenues, 2 percent more than under the revised 2010 budget, to achieve a 5.5 percent growth rate.