ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - Croatian Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said Thursday he greatly appreciated the Kostelics' sports achievements, but stressed that taxes must be paid. He thus commented on a statement by Ante Kostelic, father to
skiers Janica and Ivica, given to the Globus weekly, that he would not pay taxes in Croatia, even if he ended up in jail.
ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - Croatian Finance Minister Mato Crkvenac said
Thursday he greatly appreciated the Kostelics' sports
achievements, but stressed that taxes must be paid. He thus
commented on a statement by Ante Kostelic, father to skiers Janica
and Ivica, given to the Globus weekly, that he would not pay taxes in
Croatia, even if he ended up in jail. #L#
Kostelic is not being fair to Croatian citizens who pay their taxes
regularly and often work for low salaries and have a difficult life,
Crkvenac said.
There are people who are proud of their Croatian homeland, but at
the same time keep large amounts of money abroad and pay taxes to
other countries, the minister noted.
He recalled Croatian regulations according to which a citizen who
resides in Croatia for longer than 183 days becomes a tax payer,
independent of the amount of income the person earned abroad.
The Tax Administration is obliged to act equally towards all
citizens and will do so, Crkvenac said, stressing that the practice
according to which the state treated some people differently would
end.
The Kostelic family makes the entire Croatia proud, but taxes must
be paid, the minister asserted.
(hina) lml sb