Law No. 25/2018 divides businesses into four categories: microenterprise, small enterprise, medium enterprise, and large enterprise. The category is determined by three figures as of the balance sheet date: assets, revenue, and number of employees, using the two-out-of-three rule. The overwhelming majority of Albanian businesses are microenterprises, and this is the category with the lightest obligations.
According to Article 4 of Law No. 25/2018, the thresholds are as follows.
| Category | Active until | Revenues to date | Employee until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micronation | Twenty-five million LEK | 50,000,000 LEK | 10 |
| Small unit | 100,000,000 LEK | 200,000,000 LEK | 50 |
| Middle unit | 750,000,000 LEK | 1,500,000,000 LEK | 250 |
| Large unit | on the thresholds of the middle unit |
The rule reads like this. You remain in a category as long as you don't exceed at least two of its three thresholds on the balance date—that is, December 31 for most businesses. You only have to exceed one threshold and nothing changes. Exceed two, and you move into the next higher category.
For the final transition from one category to the next, the law requires that the thresholds be met over a consecutive period. This protects you from a single exceptional year; an outstanding season won't immediately saddle you with new obligations.
Take a small construction company in Durrës. As of December 31, it has assets of 60,000,000 LEK, annual revenue of 180,000,000 LEK, and 35 employees.
Try the micro-entity thresholds. Asset 60,000,000 exceeds the 25,000,000 threshold. Revenue 180,000,000 exceeds the 50,000,000 threshold. Employees 35 exceed the 10 threshold. Two out of three—so it is not a micro-entity.
Try the small unit thresholds. Assets of 60,000,000 do not exceed 100,000,000. Revenues of 180,000,000 do not exceed 200,000,000. Employees: 35 do not exceed 50. No threshold has been exceeded, so the firm is a small unit. It will apply full SKK but not the requirements for medium and large units.
Michael Gerber, in The E-Myth Revisited, advises building your business as if it's going to grow tomorrow. Conducting threshold checks once a year, before closing the books, is part of that system that keeps you one step ahead of events.
You don't have to do these calculations by hand. On the main page Finance and Accounting Find tool A: you are a micronation. Enter the three digits and get the category immediately. You can find other formats and calculators in the Resource Center.
The basis is Article 4 of Law No. 25/2018. Two points deserve professional attention. First, indicators are measured as of the balance date, not as an annual average, so the number of employees should be viewed as an indicator for that date according to the method prescribed by law. Second, the change of category does not occur after a single year but only once the thresholds have been consistently exceeded. The classification triggers the standard under Article 5 and the format of the statements, so the annual reevaluation of the category must be a fixed item on the year-end closing list.
Not necessarily. A single year above the threshold won't change your category; you need to cross it repeatedly. See it as a good sign: business is growing, and it's time to prepare calmly.
Operating revenues are taken from the income and expense statement, excluding the VAT collected on behalf of the government. If you're at the threshold limit, this distinction can determine the category, so it's worth checking with your economist.
If you want someone to handle your category every year-end without you having to think about it, check out our packages at offer.
We take care of accounting and taxes, so you can save time, money, and focus on growing your business.
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