TIRANA, July 28 /ATA/ Albania’s 10% VAT reimbursement scheme for farmers is progressing as planned, with applications expected to rise following nationwide information campaigns and training, Tax Administration director general Ilir Binaj said on Tuesday.

Binaj said around 100,000 farmers were registered in the system, but only 10,000 had so far used self-invoicing, adding that the potential VAT reimbursement was estimated at about €15 million, in line with the government’s budget forecast.

He estimated the potential value of VAT reimbursements at around €15 million, a figure broadly matching the government’s budget projection and indicating that the initial planning had been accurate.

Binaj said the tax administration was stepping up efforts to inform farmers and assist them with the application process.

“We are holding training sessions in several regions. We began in Lushnjë, where applications from Lushnjë and Fier reached around 1,500. Today we are in Shkodër, followed by Berat, Korçë and other areas, to hear farmers’ concerns and provide guidance on how to apply,” he said.

Binaj said the procedure was simple and fully digital, requiring no paper documentation.

“The application can be completed using a phone or tablet. Farmers select the invoice, which is then automatically processed through our system. The problems identified so far have been limited and mostly concern awareness and information gaps,” he said.

He said some technical issues had been identified, mainly linked to updating the economic activity codes of agricultural collection operators.

“In many cases, collectors have multiple registered activities and may appear in the system under a different category, such as construction, even though they currently operate as collectors. Their activity codes need to be updated so that the system recognises them correctly and farmers’ invoices are displayed,” Binaj said.

Around 2,400 farmers have applied for VAT reimbursement so far, with claims reaching about €5.9 million, Tax Director General Ilir Binaj said.

“Direct payments to the bank accounts declared by farmers in our system will begin in early August,” Binaj said.

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