Notaries’ arithmetic: 260 officials – 20 million Euros of income
As estimated by the Tax Inspectorate, all 263 notaries, who carried out their activities in Lithuania last year, together have earned 19,234 million Euros of taxable income that makes 3% more than in 2014. The highest income earned by a single notary in 2015 reached 462.567 Euros.
According to figures from the State Tax Inspectorate (STI), the total income of notaries, consisting of taxable income, non-taxable income and income earned from business licences, made up 20.068 million Euros and increased insignificantly in comparison with the year 2014, by 0.7%.
The highest income earned by a single notary in the year 2015 reached 19.234 million Euros that makes up 47% more than in the year 2014.
Last year the average taxable income of a single notary made up 19.234 million Euros that makes up 3% more than the average income of representatives of this profession in the year before last.
Growth not traced
The President of the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries and Klaipeda notary Marius Strackaitis emphasizes that speaking about income of notaries it is reasonable to estimate not total revenues of notaries but income less expenses – taxes, expenditures for notary office supplies, staff salaries and social security withholdings.
According to statistics gathered by the Lithuanian Chamber of Notaries that is based on notary income and costs reports submitted to the Chamber and state institutions, income of notaries in the year 2014 less expenses made up 15.622 million Euros and in the year 2015 – 15.846 million Euros.
Thus, revenues of notaries have increased by 224.000 Euros per year. In 2015 each notary has earned 71 Euros extra at the average per month. We do not consider such change of income as “growth,” he says.
Routine services prevail
According to Mr. Strackaitis, daily routine services for citizens, such as various unilateral transactions, applications, copies, signature authentication, made up the largest share (65-66%) of all notarial services provided by notaries last year.
In comparison with the year 2014 real estate transaction share has not changed in the year 2015: it made up 8% of all actions, will certification – 1% in 2014 and 2% accordingly, issue of certificates of inheritance – 3 and 4% accordingly, incorporation of legal entities – 1%, executive inscriptions – 1%.
Scope of activities extended last year
It was written in Verslo zinios that from January, 2015 means of prevention of unjust enrichment which involve obligations to notarially certify promissory notes of value exceeding 3.000 Euros, cash loans exceeding 3.000 Euros and agreement for sale and purchase of shares of private limited liability companies if 25% or more shares are being sold or a sale price of shares exceeds 14.500 Euros have came into force.
“However, implementation of these innovations had no impact on quantity of notarial actions and income of notaries,” Mr. Strackaitis said.
Top limit established
According to figures from the Chamber of Notaries, in 2014 notaries certified 209 transfer of shares transactions and in 2015 – 5081 transactions. Net income earned from these transactions by a single notary has increased from 105 to 146 Euros on the average.
“Even though number of transactions of such nature increased by 24 times, majority of transfer of shares transactions are entered into large business and economic centres, primarily in Vilnius. Along with this new function of notaries a notary fee rate has also been changed. The top limit has been established, i.e. the maximum rate of a notary fee that may not exceed 5.792,4 Euros, has been established for certification of a transfer of securities transaction, certification of a loan or credit agreement and certification of mortgage – lien assignment agreement,” he says.
Notary fees are established by the Minister of Justice upon approval of the Ministry of Finance and the Chamber of Notaries. “Service rates had not been increased even once for the last decade,” Mr. Strackaitis says.
Emphasis of this year
Range of notarial services has been expanded this year. Nevertheless, the President of the Chamber of Notaries makes no attempt to forecast how his income and income of his colleagues may change in 2016.
“It is known that several groups of new notarial actions came into force from the beginning of the year 2016, such as issue of enforcement orders under notarially certified agreements, authentication of documents with an Apostille and mediation of disputes. Even though notaries have already faced new actions in daily life, we do not see visible income changes. It would be really difficult to forecast them,” Mr. Straskaitis states.
He thinks that issue of enforcement orders under notarially certified agreements is one of the most topical for business among these innovations.
“If any party fails to fulfil obligations stipulated in an agreement, it is sufficient to apply to notary, so he could issue enforcement order based on which a bailiff may start a collection procedure,” talker explains.
New tenders for notaries are to be announced
According to figures from the Chamber of Notaries, 262 notaries have carried out professional notarial activities in Lithuania as of the 1 January of this year.
In total 227 notary offices have performed their activities. Last year two notaries terminated their professional activities, two notaries have started their activities and one more notary has been commissioned to a post and started his activities this year.
“As expected, a new notary who has won a tender for this position is to start his activities in Jurbarkas. It is planned to hold tenders for a position of a notary in five more municipalities,” Mr. Straskaitis says.