Business news from Ukraine

TAXES IN UKRAINE FEASIBLE, BUT NECESSARY TO STOP PRACTICE OF REGISTERING TAX INVOICES – VODA UA OWNER

The state should immediately stop the practice of registering tax invoices in Ukraine, including the assessment of criteria for classifying enterprises as those with risky activities, and also replacing value added tax (VAT) with a tax on withdrawn capital.

Dmytro Nikiforov, the owner and founder of AT Market LLC (Kyiv), which is engaged in bottling high-mountainous Carpathian water under the trademarks Voda UA, Goryanka, Karpatska Dzherelna Vysokohirna, expressed such an opinion in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

At the same time, he believes that the rate of taxes levied in the country is feasible for business and does not need to be reduced.

“We need to immediately kill this ‘hydra,’ which is called the registration of tax invoices. This is the tool by which thieving tax officials and MP who back them ‘wash out’ the turnover from businesses in the amount of VAT. The state must immediately stop the practice of registering tax invoices, which does not exist anywhere in the world,” Nikiforov said.

According to him, the practice of registering tax invoices and the procedure for determining the criteria for classifying the activities of enterprises as risky harm business, washing out its working capital, and should be stopped immediately.

“There is no need to lower taxes, they are feasible. By and large, VAT should be abolished in principle, and a clear and understandable turnover tax and non-refundable sales tax should be introduced. Because any refundable tax like VAT is a so-called square tax and creates corruption risks, but such people control this issue that it is impossible to move it,” the businessman specified.

“Therefore, the abolition of VAT and income tax with a replacement for a tax on withdrawn capital is what the state should do for business. Without this, business will not be cured, no matter how it is stuffed with loans. All funding is broken down by the fact that in the existing paradigm it simply cannot work,” Nikiforov added.

As reported, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko supports restoring the VAT administration system with automatic cash reimbursement, “even if it is painful and requires payment deferral.”

“For some reason, decisions were made that actually broke the current system of registering tax invoices, checking risks and automatic budgetary VAT refunds. In fact, since March, our system for registering tax invoices has not been working … I am a supporter of the system of automatic VAT refunds working, and business receiving funds,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

On February 28, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine established the possibility of automatic registration of tax invoices for certain types of agribusiness and food industry enterprises, which will allow them to submit documentation without bureaucratic delays.

According to Roman Leschenko, who at that time was the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, after February 28, tax invoices of legal entities growing crops, farm animals and poultry, engaged in fishing, and processing milk, butter and cottage cheese are automatically registered.

In addition, the list includes all enterprises producing meat, fruit and vegetable juices, vegetable oil, animal fats, edible fats; products of the flour-grinding industry; bread and bakery products, flour confectionery, cakes and pastries; cocoa, chocolate, sugar confectionery; tea and coffee; spices and seasonings; prepared food and dishes; baby and dietary food; prepared feed for animals kept on farms; soft drinks and other bottled waters.

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