With a new function on the National Tax and Customs Administration’s (NAV) mobile application (“NAV Mobile”), anyone can check whether their employer has notified the tax authority about their employment in accordance with the employment contract.

In February 2020 the Hungarian Competition Authority initiated a competition supervisory procedure against Viber Media (operator of the Viber app, seated in Luxembourg) which was likely to infringe the prohibition of unfair commercial practice against consumers. During the procedure, Viber made commitments aiming at the avoidance of penalties. The procedure ended on 16 May 2024 with a decision where the authority, without finding an infringement or lack of infringement, obliged Viber to fulfil its commitments.

Recently, the Artificial Intelligence Coalition (MIK) informed the relevant committee of the Hungarian Parliament about possible trends in the sector. The MIK’s goal is clear: to put Hungary at the forefront of AI developments and applications in Europe and to become a member of the international AI community. In this process, it will bring together users, market players, academia, professional organisations and public institutions.

We are proud to announce that KCG Partners have advised Corvinus Zrt., the Hungarian state-owned investment fund in the strategic acquisition of majority interest of Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport.

Linklaters, Freshfields, Bittera, Kohlrusz & Toth, and Herbert Smith Freehills have advised AviAlliance and co-shareholders on the sale of Budapest Airport to a consortium consisting of Hungarian state-owned Corvinus Zrt and French co-investor Vinci Airports for a total purchase price of EUR 3.1 billion and net debt of EUR 1.2 billion. CMS advised Corvinus. Kinstellar, working with Orrick, advised Vinci Airports. Wolf Theiss, working with Latham & Watkins, advised the lenders on financing the transaction.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has decided in two cases concerning Hungary in its judgments in joined cases C-420/22 and C-528/22, published on 25 April 2024.

A new decree entered into force on 9 April 2024 on the ban of employment of guest workers in the public sector in Hungary.

EU legislation on crypto-assets is based on the EU Regulation on Markets in Crypto Assets (as known as MiCA), which is directly applicable in the Member States, including Hungary.

As of 1 April 2024, the decree of the Hungarian National Bank on the processing of payment transactions has been amended, which particularly affects the process of immediate transfers.

In the ever-evolving landscape of legal technology, two notable players, SauLM-7B, and Harvey AI, have emerged with the aim of revolutionizing legal assistance through artificial intelligence. SauLM-7B and Harvey AI compete for prominence in the legal tech arena, their names both carrying a subtle nod to the realm of popular TV series – from Saul Goodman's legal antics in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul to Harvey Specter's suave maneuvers in Suits.

Convenience fee is the part of our everyday life that seems to be a usually small but inconvenient price to pay for shopping online. But is it indeed a necessity? The Prosecution Service of Hungary intends to find out exactly that.

Based on a Hungarian case, on 14 March 2024 the Court of Justice ruled that the supervisory authority of a Member State, to ensure that the GDPR is fully enforced, may order the erasure of unlawfully processed data even if prior request by the data subject has not been submitted. Such erasure may cover data collected from the affected person and data originating from another source.

On 2 April 2024, a new bill was submitted to the Hungarian Parliament. Among other judicial system-related acts, the proposal aims to amend our Competition Act. The bill establishes the concept of ‘undertaking of fundamental importance’ (in Hungarian: “alapvető jelentőségű vállalkozás”) and gives new powers for the Competition Authority (HCA) in respect of these undertakings.

The National Tax and Customs Authority (NAV) published its 2024 audit plan on 26 March 2024, which shows that it plans to carry out more rigorous audits this year than in recent years.

To enhance the competitiveness of the Hungarian economy, the Government plans to accelerate the process of setting up companies in Hungary for foreigners. Currently, individuals who do not understand Hungarian language, should wait days or even weeks to receive the decision from the Hungarian Company Registry Court certifying the registration of their new company.

On 26 February 2024, the 34/2024 (II.26) decree on the different application of Act C of 2000 on Accounting during an emergency was published in the Hungarian Gazette, which repeals a decree issued a few days before, on 8 February.

As of 1 March 2024, it possible to submit applications for residence permit at the Immigration Authority in accordance with the new regulation, i.e. the Act XC of 2023 on the General Rules for the Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals.

In order to promote the health of employees and prevent workplace accidents, the Hungarian Government had significantly increased the fines for the breach of occupational health and safety rules as of 1 March 2024. The rule on its amount was removed from the applicable act and its details were laid down in a government decree.