The Russians have become more tolerant of tax evasion

the Share of Russians who admit tax evasion, has increased substantially in the current crisis from 35% at the end of last year to 45% in may 2020.

that’s the number of respondents to the question “How do you feel about the situation when individuals evade paying taxes?” answered that taxes sometimes acceptable not to pay. In December 2019, more than half of Russians (54%) chose the answer “Taxes required to be paid, and cannot justify the one who does not pay,” according to RBC with reference to the results of a study conducted by the Center for strategic research.

CSR Experts attribute the increase in the share of justifying tax evasion with falling incomes and anxiety about the future.

“the Trend is clearly caused by the decline in income and the desire of the population to survive at any cost — save an extra penny if it is impossible to earn,” said RBC’s head of fiscal policy economic expert group Alexander Suslin.

In her opinion, the increase in the share of justifying tax evasion is “very bad signal” about the “decline of public confidence in the government’s actions”. And, says the expert, “announced anti-crisis measures, the majority of the population seem to be inadequate at least because not granted to all categories of citizens”.

Recall that the Russian economy in February—March 2020 was under the powerful impact of two negative factors — the rapid spread of the pandemic coronavirus infection COVID-19 and its deleterious effect on the global economy and collapse in oil prices. Against this background, the rouble significantly depreciated against the dollar and the Euro. Wave of devaluation held from 7 to 9 March and 18 March.

Reacting to the situation, the government and the Bank of Russia has prepared a plan of priority measures for the sustainable development of the economy. As explained premiEP Minister Mikhail Mishustin, “it’s kind of the anti-crisis plan, a set of operational activities that are necessary for stable socio-economic development”. “We will focus on supporting industries that were in a difficult situation, but primarily on the support of the people and providing them with goods of first necessity”, — stressed the head of the Cabinet of Ministers.

In particular, it has been announced vacation credit for small and medium business and people who find themselves in a difficult situation, promised financial assistance to affected industries, provided soft loans, including the payment of salaries, reduced employers ‘ social security contributions, given the postponement of rent and tax payments, excluding VAT, imposed a moratorium on bankruptcy.

Later, it was adopted a second package of economic support measures (soft loans for working capital for strategic enterprises, non-repayable financial assistance to small and medium businesses, including on the issue of salaries and financial assistance to regions and airlines).

for its part, the Central Bank has approved measures to support citizens, the economy and the financial sector in a pandemic COVID-19, and then supplemented them with new packages.

21 April the Russian government announced that the value adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of measures to support the economy already amounted to 2.1 trillion rubles. Prior to that, head of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation Anton Siluanov said that the budget measures for combating coronavirus and its implications in Russia is about 2.8% of GDP. In General, the total volume of fiscal support to individuals and business of all sectors in the context of pandemic coronavirus, the Ministry of Finance was estimated at 6.5% of GDP.

let’s Add, that on may 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the end of may 12, a single period of days off, entered March 30, in the fight against COVID-19. He also announced the beginning of implementation of the third package of anti-crisis measures, under which the state, in particular, tookcheat targeted support of families with children, small businesses, individual entrepreneurs and self-employed. In addition, Putin instructed the government to prepare a national plan for long-term development of the economy, the recovery in employment and incomes.

Stories about how you tried to get help from the Russian state in terms of coronaries and what came of it, email it to COVID-19@rosbalt.ru