Parties
Berisha: with PD in power no tax above 12.5%, VAT included; Tabaku: government burdens small business
The PD leader and lawmaker Jorida Tabaku attacked the 2027 Fiscal Package, from the new VAT threshold to the higher dividend tax.
By ANN Newsroom · Newsroom
November 1, 2026, 12:30 · Updated 19:04 · 1 min read
In brief
- Berisha claims some 18,000 businesses risk bankruptcy from the VAT changes.
- He promised that under PD no tax would exceed 12.5%, VAT included.
- Tabaku criticized lowering the VAT threshold to 5 million lek and the 21% rate for small businesses.
Democratic Party (PD) leader Sali Berisha promised on Sunday that if PD comes to power, no tax in Albania will be above 12.5 percent. “There will be no tax above 12.5 percent, VAT included,” he said in an online exchange with citizens, according to ATSH.
Berisha described the 2027 Fiscal Package as a heavy blow to the poor, small businesses and the middle class, and accused the government of raising taxes without warning or public consultation.
Berisha’s claims
He said bringing more shops into the VAT system would push up prices of basic foods by about 6 percent, despite VAT cuts on some products, while some 18,000 businesses risk bankruptcy. He also criticized applying 21% VAT to services by liberal professions and doubling the dividend tax from 8 to 15 percent, which he said would drive away foreign investors. These figures are Berisha’s claims and have not been verified.
Besides the 12.5% cap, Berisha promised a tax exemption or a 12.5% rate for liberal professions, the abolition of social contributions for employers and employees, and a diesel price no higher than in Kosovo or North Macedonia.
Tabaku: small business supports families
PD lawmaker Jorida Tabaku also spoke out on social media against lowering the VAT threshold to 5 million lek and applying the standard 21% rate. “Small business supports families. The government adds to its burden,” she wrote, warning of less room for investment and pressure to raise prices.
