Zelensky signs law resuming tax audits for businesses

President Volodymyr Zelenksy signed a law that resumes tax inspections for businesses, the online portal of the Ukrainian parliament announced on Dec. 6.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), amending the tax code to lift the moratorium on tax audits forms a key benchmark in Ukraine's efforts to "restore a taxpaying culture and avoid unduly narrowing the tax base."

Tax audits for businesses were suspended with the onset of martial law in Ukraine amid the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion.

The passing of the law follows a previous amendment to the tax code in August, which restored the pre-war taxation system and lifted a moratorium on inspections for excise goods (alcohol, tobacco, and fuel), as well as the gambling business and financial services.

Adopting the law was "an important condition stipulated by the agreement with the IMF," MP Yaroslav Zhelezhniak said on June 30.  

The law on resuming tax inspections only applies to specific businesses, such as enterprises with an annual income of more than Hr. 10 million ($272,000) in 2021, where expenses accounted for more than 75% of the yearly income.

The law does not apply to certain small and medium-sized businesses, which will continue to benefit from a moratorium on tax inspections until December 2024.

Companies located in Russian-occupied territories or front-line regions will also remain exempt.  

The move to restore tax audits for businesses in Ukraine comes amid growing anxieties around the state budget.  

The parliament passed the state budget for 2024 on Nov. 9, setting revenues at Hr 1.77 trillion ($49 billion) and expenses at Hr 3.35 trillion ($93 billion). Almost half of the budget was allocated to defense needs.

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The Kyiv IndependentNate Ostiller