Slovakia’s tax burden is rising, but advisers warn unpredictability is a bigger problem.
Fitness and nutrition e-commerce company GymBeam announced in early 2026 that it was moving its headquarters from Košice in eastern Slovakia to Vienna.
Over more than a decade, it has become one of the country’s most visible online retail success stories, posting revenues of €208 million and a net profit of nearly €8 million in 2025. Its Slovak operations remain part of the group, but the decision to centre the next stage of its operations in Austria is being seen by many as a warning sign for Slovakia.
For ambitious companies, the question is no longer whether Slovakia offers talent, a good location and access to the European market. Increasingly, they are also weighing up tax costs, payroll burdens, legal certainty and the predictability of the corporate environment.
“If companies are to plan development and invest, they need assurance that they will be able to compete in the long term and that governments will create acceptable conditions for doing business,” Silvia Hallová, tax expert and managing partner at Grant Thornton, told The Slovak Spectator. “Companies in Slovakia do not have that certainty today.”
