Serbia’s Tax Administration joins persecution of United Group

United Group

The SBB cable operator, a part of the United Group (UG), has received a letter from Serbia’s Tax Administration (IRS) informing the company that it launched an official procedure to determine “the annual personal income tax of taxpayer Dragan Solak,” a UG co-owner, N1 reported on Wednesday.

Solak doesn’t reside in Serbia and thus is not a taxpayer, and the IRS hasn’t sent such request for years.

Besides the question of how the Tax Administration is not aware that Solak is not a Serbian taxpayer, the intention is not clear nor who ordered the procedure.

The media owned by the UG have been under constant pressure by the state officials and pro-regime tabloids, while their journalists have been exposed to almost daily threats and labelling due to the independent policy of the outlets.

Additionally, Serbia’s Government treats Solak as an enemy of the state.

In such an atmosphere, this another method used by the authorities to try to exert influence on the UG co-owners and yet another way to deal with media which don’t want to be the regime mouthpiece.

While the UG-owned media investigate ministers’ and state officials’ abuse of power to get rich, Serbia’s authorities use force and state institutions for a showdown with one of the UG international company co-owners.

His lawyers say they will cooperate with the Tax Admnistration and all other state bodies even when they don’t understand their demands and jurisdiction.

N1 is also a part of the United Group.