Last updated on 25 September 2023.
To learn about salaries and payroll taxes in Hungary in 2023, click here.
As always, the new year brings new regulations concerning salaries and payroll taxes. The minimum wage has been raised to HUF 200,000 gross, while the social contribution tax has been reduced to 13%. At the same time, personal income tax for persons younger than 25 has been abolished.
A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration employers may legally pay to workers. It is adjusted regularly (at least yearly) by the government to ensure that it remains a living wage in Hungary. When we speak about minimum wage, we must differentiate between the following two groups:
Please note that if this concerns your employees, the gross salary must be modified in the employment contracts as of 1 January.
The Hungarian minimum wage will increase to HUF 200,000, and the guaranteed minimum salary to HUF 260,000 as of 1 January 2022. The managing director’s salary or the base of the minimum contributions also follow this increase.
In the table below, you can see the basic calculations for the minimum wage and the guaranteed minimum salary, together with the relevant payroll taxes in 2022. We have also added a third amount, for HUF 450,000 gross (ca. HUF 300,000 net) for comparison. To check salary costs for other salaries, visit our salary calculator (updated for 2022), or see our table for recommended salaries.
The below amounts are all in HUF. Detailed explanation follows below the table.
| Minimum wage | Guaranteed minimum salary | Other salary | |
| Gross salary (in the contract) | 200,000 | 260,000 | 450,000 |
| Employee’s payroll tax | |||
| 15% Income tax | 30,000 | 39,000 | 67,500 |
| 18.5% Social security contribution | 37,000 | 48,100 | 83,250 |
| Net salary (to be paid out) | 133,000 | 172,900 | 299,250 |
| 13% Employer’s tax | 26,000 | 33,800 | 58,500 |
| Company’s total payroll cost | 226,000 | 293,800 | 508,500 |
The gross salary is what you usually agree on with your employee, and what you put in the labor contract. Employees have to pay taxes and contributions from that (these are the employee’s payroll taxes), which your company deducts and forwards to the authorities for your employees, who only receive their net salary.
Additionally, your company will have to pay contributions for employing someone. These are called employer’s taxes. The sum containing the gross salary (net salary + employee’s taxes) and the employer’s taxes is the total company cost. This is what any given employee actually costs your company.
While the minimum wage and the guaranteed minimum salary increase significantly compared to 2021, in order to lighten the financial burden on employers, the employer’s tax on salaries is decreased at the same time. Last year it was 17%, made up of social contribution tax (15.5%) and vocational training levy (1.5%). Starting from 1 January, the social contribution tax is reduced to 13%, while the vocational training levy gets incorporated into it (meaning that it will not be a separate item any more).
In the meantime, employees younger than 25 years old do not pay personal income tax starting from January 2022. If you have employees under 25, their net salary will increase instantly without costing more to your company. In general, the idea is to encourage companies to hire students and career entrants while providing more support to young people who are just starting a life on their own.
While the minimum wage and the guaranteed minimum salary is significantly increased, employer’s taxes are reduced to balance out the burdens on employers. Your English-speaking accountant or payroll specialist can help you calculate your new payroll costs, adjust your yearly financial plan, and amend labor contracts as necessary.
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