Closing the year: salary payments and taxes

Year-end is a critical period for sole proprietors and companies. To avoid unnecessary financial headaches, pay attention to a few key points on salary payments and tax settlements.

Taxes: what you need to know

• On 30 December 2024 the Treasury is still operating: it will credit taxes, the unified social contribution, fees and customs payments. This means your payments will reach the budget on time.
• On 31 December 2024 and 1 January 2025 no tax payments will be credited. Anything paid on those days will only appear in the system on 2 January 2025.

Tip: pay your taxes and fees in advance so you don't have to worry about timely crediting.

Paying salaries: how to do it right

If you plan to pay the salary for the second half of December earlier — for example on 30 December — the law allows it.

• Paying employees earlier does not breach the law. The Labour Code allows salaries to be paid before the set dates, and this is not treated as a violation of labour guarantees.
• The 16-day limit applies only between the advance and the monthly salary; it does not cover the gap between the December salary and the January advance.

So if you pay salaries on 30 December and the first January advance follows after 16 days, no penalties will arise.

What you should do

• Issue an order. If wages are paid outside the dates set in the collective agreement, issue an internal order setting the payment date as 30 December.
• Stick to the schedule for subsequent payments. A one-off earlier payment does not change the dates of future salaries.
• Rely on official guidance. For instance, the Ministry of Social Policy letter No. 1680/0/206-19 of 19 November 2019 confirms this is not a violation.

Bottom line

Plan ahead, pay on time, and the end of the year will be calm and confident.

«Settlements without surprises mean a calm end to the year and a strong start to the next one.»