The Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts has introduced a free digital tool, "It's Good to Be a Craftsman," which provides tradespeople with a clear view of future tax liabilities and helps them choose the most profitable business model.
To eliminate uncertainty and ease adaptation to the announced tax changes, the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts (HOK) has prepared a free digital calculator named "It's Good to Be a Craftsman." The tool was designed by HOK's Accountants Section and allows tradespeople to easily calculate the estimated tax and contribution liabilities that will apply from January 1, 2027.
The main advantage of the tool is the ability to compare different taxation models based on planned income and expenses. For instance, a tradesperson can check whether it is worthwhile to switch to the income tax system and keep business books due to high costs, without automatically entering the VAT system.
When calculating, the system takes into account the expected increase in contribution bases and new tax amounts, which were in public consultation until August 30, 2026. HOK emphasizes that they successfully fought to prevent any increase in taxes and contributions for more than 77,000 lump-sum tradespeople, while the initially proposed levies for all other categories were significantly mitigated.
The importance of the tool for daily operations was highlighted by Dražen Novak, president of the regional chamber, specifically the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of Međimurje County.
Any change in the tax system naturally causes concern, but our intention is to eliminate uncertainty and give tradespeople clear direction. This tool was created to ease their administrative burden and simplify adaptation to new regulations. We want our tradespeople to make decisions based on accurate figures, not guesswork, so they can focus on growing their business with peace of mind.
Dalibor Kratohvil, president of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts, explained the practical value of the calculator, emphasizing that it is crucial for a tradesperson to know exactly how much money remains after paying all levies.
With precise calculation of taxes and contributions, this tool directly shows the tradesperson what matters most, how much actually remains after settling all obligations. That is the question we care most about in business. Only when you see that clear and precise figure can you make a responsible and thoughtful decision about which business model suits you best.
The tax changes will apply to trades and crafts businesses from January 1, 2027, and tradespeople can already use the calculator to prepare in time and make informed decisions for their operations.
