The draft state budget for 2026 allocates UAH 17.9 billion for measures to support veterans, which is UAH 6.1 billion (51.5%) more than in the current year 2025, according to a statement posted on the official website of the Servant of the People party on Friday, citing Taras Tarasenko, a member of parliament from this political force and deputy chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Social Policy and Protection of Veterans’ Rights.
“Veterans are not a separate category of citizens, but part of modern Ukrainian society, which is shaped by their courage. That is why state policy is aimed at ensuring that every veteran has the opportunity to return to a full life, realize their potential, and feel dignified support from the state and the community,” Tarasenko emphasized.
He emphasized that the increase in funding applies to all key areas of veteran policy, from housing programs to psychological rehabilitation and the development of the veteran movement.
In particular, in 2026, UAH 5.7 billion is earmarked for housing compensation for veterans with disabilities of groups I and II (UAH 1.7 billion more than in the 2025 State Budget).
UAH 4 billion is earmarked for measures to support veterans, including psychological assistance, professional adaptation, the development of veteran sports, support projects, and one-time cash assistance. This is UAH 2.6 billion more than in the current year’s budget and will include new programs for converting cars to meet the needs of veterans, treating burns and scars, and adapting those who have lost their sight.
UAH 2.9 billion is earmarked for specialists to support veterans, who will help each of them navigate the process from applying to state structures to receiving all the necessary services (an increase of UAH 0.9 billion compared to the 2025 State Budget).
UAH 1.1 billion is earmarked for the creation and development of veterans’ spaces where veterans can receive counseling, psychological support, and participate in educational and community initiatives (an increase of UAH 0.6 billion compared to the 2025 State Budget).
“Support specialists, veteran spaces, and rehabilitation programs are an investment in human capital, in returning soldiers to a life where they feel support, respect, and the opportunity to move forward. We are trying to build a system centered on people who have gone through war,” said the MP.
He also emphasized the importance of communication with municipal and public institutions and veterans’ organizations, since the network of veterans’ spaces cannot be based solely on state institutions, but must bring together all existing initiatives.
“Only together can we create an effective system. Because when a veteran is forced to run between different spaces in search of help, it is not useful for him or for the system as a whole. Our goal is to ensure that veteran policy is not reduced to privileges, but becomes a system of opportunities,” Tarasenko concluded.
The tax debt of Ukrainian citizens who received income from posting content on the OnlyFans platform in 2020–2022 amounts to UAH 384.7 million as of September 1, 2025. This was reported by the State Tax Service in response to a journalist’s request, as reported by Ekonomichna Pravda; the information has also been confirmed by a number of Ukrainian media outlets.
The tax service clarified that this refers specifically to the tax debt of individuals on income from the service owner Fenix International Ltd for the period 2020-2022; data for 2023 has been received recently and is currently being processed.
It should be noted that the State Tax Service treats the income of Ukrainian residents from OnlyFans as foreign income subject to taxation in Ukraine (income tax and military tax; some authors work as sole proprietors). At the same time, the platform itself pays VAT in Ukraine on electronic services (the so-called “Google tax”): in 2023, the amount of such VAT exceeded $928,000.
Previously, the media raised the issue of conflicts between criminal law provisions on pornographic content and the need for authors to declare their income, but the fiscal authority’s position on the taxation of such income remains unchanged.
Revenues from taxes, fees, and mandatory payments to the general and special funds of the state budget of Ukraine for the first eight months of 2025 amounted to UAH 2.40 trillion, while cash expenditures amounted to UAH 3.23 trillion, which is approximately 24.2% and 23.7% higher than the corresponding figures for the first eight months of 2024.
According to operational data from the State Treasury Service, published by the Ministry of Finance on its website, general fund revenues increased by 20.4% to UAH 1.71 trillion, while expenditures increased by 19.4% to UAH 2.50 trillion.
At the same time, in August this year, state budget revenues decreased by 30.1% compared to August last year, to UAH 314.2 billion, including the general fund – by 37.3%, to UAH 242.9 billion. This is due to significantly lower grant revenues – UAH 44 billion in August 2025 compared to UAH 228.1 billion in August 2024.
It is noted that after raising the military tax from 1.5% to 5% and introducing a condition for reserving a salary of UAH 20,000 this year, personal income tax and military tax moved from fourth to second place in terms of revenues for the first eight months of this year – UAH 230.9 billion compared to UAH 134.5 billion last year.
In addition, the main revenues were provided by: VAT on goods imported into the customs territory of Ukraine – UAH 340.4 billion (UAH 302.1 billion for the first eight months of 2024), corporate income tax – UAH 211.6 billion (UAH 195.3 billion), VAT on goods produced in Ukraine – UAH 206.5 billion for reimbursement of UAH 116.1 billion (UAH 175.0 billion for reimbursement of UAH 95.8 billion), excise tax – UAH 186.3 billion (UAH 129.6 billion).
In addition, dividends and part of the net profit of state-owned companies amounted to UAH 64.2 billion (UAH 66.5 billion), import and export duties – UAH 34.7 billion (UAH 31.6 billion), rent for the use of subsoil resources – UAH 27.4 billion (UAH 32.7 billion).
The Ministry of Finance added that another UAH 84.2 billion (UAH 38.6 billion) was added to the budget from the National Bank’s profits, and grants amounted to UAH 254.9 billion (UAH 268.3 billion).
Revenues from the unified social tax (UST) to pension and social insurance funds in January-August 2025 increased by 22.3% to UAH 423.5 billion, including in August by 21.0% to UAH 54.1 billion.
The Ministry of Finance also reported that as part of the financing of the general fund of the state budget, state borrowings to it in January-August 2025 amounted to UAH 1.24 trillion, or 106.1% of the plan, including UAH 345.5 billion received on the domestic market from the placement of government bonds (UAH 318.4 billion for the first eight months of 2024), including UAH 78.0 billion in foreign currency – $1.24 billion and EUR 557.7 million. At the same time, UAH 152.5 billion was raised through the issuance of military government bonds.
According to the release, approximately $21.4 billion or UAH 889.8 billion came from external sources, including approximately $13.3 billion under the ERA, with the total volume of this mechanism reaching $50 billion.
In addition, Ukraine received another EUR6.14 billion from the EU as part of the Ukraine Facility preferential long-term loan, $0.96 billion from the IMF, and $0.26 billion from the World Bank for the projects “Transforming Health Care through Reform and Investment in Efficiency” (THRIVE), “Creating Resilient Infrastructure in Vulnerable Environments in Ukraine” (DRIVE), and “Modernization of the Social Support System for the Population of Ukraine.”
Payments on the repayment of public debt for January-August 2025 amounted to UAH 404.0 billion, or 94.8% of the plan, and service payments amounted to UAH 233.3 billion, or 82.3% of the plan.
As reported, the 2025 state budget was approved with revenues of UAH 2 trillion 327.1 billion, including the general fund – UAH 2 trillion 133.3 billion (excluding grants and international aid), and expenditures of UAH 3 trillion 929.1 billion, including the general fund – UAH 3 trillion 591.6 billion. At the end of July, the Verkhovna Rada, at the government’s proposal, increased this year’s budget expenditures by UAH 400.5 billion and revenues by UAH 147.5 billion.
In 2024, the state budget received UAH 3 trillion 120.5 billion in revenues, which is UAH 448 billion, or 16.8%, more than the 2023 state budget. The general fund’s revenue growth amounted to UAH 513.9 billion, or 30.9%, to UAH 2 trillion 177 billion, in particular, international financial assistance in the form of grants amounted to UAH 453.6 billion compared to UAH 433.9 billion in 2023.
State budget expenditures in 2024 increased by UAH 464.5 billion, or 11.6%, compared to 2023, to UAH 4 trillion 479.3 billion, in particular, under the general fund – by 15%, or UAH 454.5 billion – to UAH 3 trillion 488.8 billion.
Representatives of the tourism sector paid UAH 1 billion 613 million in taxes to the state budget in January–June 2025, which is 29% more than in the same period of 2024, according to the press service of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine.
According to the head of the State Agency for Tourism Development, Natalia Tabaka, in addition to inflationary factors, the growth is explained by the revival of domestic tourism. In particular, the number of taxpayers is also growing: as of the first half of 2025, the number of registered business entities operating in the tourism sector exceeded 14,500, which is 5% more than in the same period last year.
Hotels remain among the leading taxpayers, accounting for 71% of total revenue, or UAH 1.144 billion. For comparison, in 2024, this amount was UAH 809 million, in 2023 – UAH 570 million, and in pre-war 2021 – UAH 665 million.
Tour operators paid almost UAH 195 million in the first half of this year (UAH 165 million in the first half of 2024 and UAH 88 million in 2023).
Travel agencies paid UAH 153 million in the first half of the year, which is 49% more than in the same period of 2024.
Recreation centers and children’s camps paid more than UAH 92 million, 18% more than last year.
As for the tourist tax, local budgets received more than UAH 142.5 million in the first half of 2025, which is 34% more than in the same period last year. The number of tourist tax payers also increased: from 4,945 in the second quarter of 2024 to 5,717 in the second quarter of 2025.
The top five regions in terms of tourist tax revenue are Kyiv (UAH 33.6 million), Lviv region (UAH 26.5 million), Ivano-Frankivsk region (over UAH 22 million), Zakarpattia region (almost UAH 12 million), and Kyiv region (UAH 7.5 million).
This amount of revenue is UAH 37.6 billion, or 13.4% more than in the same period of 2024. Among the main budget-forming goods that provided the largest revenues in January-June 2025, the following are in the lead:
– petroleum products – UAH 71.1 billion;
– passenger and freight vehicles – UAH 30.3 billion;
– petroleum gases – UAH 9.3 billion;
– mineral fertilizers – UAH 6.8 billion;
– fungicides, herbicides – UAH 6.0 billion;
– telephone sets – UAH 4.1 billion;
– cigars, cigarillos, and cigarettes – UAH 4.0 billion;
– coal – UAH 3.9 billion.
The main budget-forming goods, whose import growth ensured a significant increase in customs revenues in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, were:
– petroleum products – by UAH 8.2 billion;
– petroleum gases – by UAH 4.8 billion;
– passenger cars – by 3.7 billion UAH;
– cigars, cigarettes, cigarillos – by 3.2 billion UAH;
– coal – by 2.3 billion UAH;
– agricultural machinery and equipment – by 1.1 billion UAH;
– electricity – by 1.1 billion UAH.
In turn, customs revenues were affected by a steady increase in the share of customs duties assessed on the import of certain goods into Ukraine in accordance with the legally approved list of exemptions. Thus, the total amount of customs duty exemptions on imports of goods in January-June of this year amounted to UAH 140.12 billion, which is 42% or UAH 41.61 billion more than in January-June 2024.
Receipts of taxes, fees and mandatory payments to the general fund of the state budget of Ukraine, according to operational data, amounted to UAH 151.6 billion in May, compared to UAH 154.6 billion in April and UAH 164.3 billion in March, such operational data (as of 16:00 on May 31) reported the Ministry of Finance on its website.
According to its data, in May, through the State Tax Service revenues recovered to 99.8 billion UAH from 59.7 billion UAH in April, which is slightly less than 105.7 billion UAH in March.
It is specified that in May, income tax revenues increased to UAH 42.0 billion after falling to UAH 3.2 billion in April, partially offset by a one-time transfer of UAH 38.64 billion of profits by the National Bank. As reported, in March and February, income tax brought over UAH 60 bln monthly to the state budget, but part of it was paid in advance.
As for other taxes, personal income tax and military levy increased to UAH 17.3 billion (UAH 16.5 billion) in May, rent tax increased to UAH 5.8 billion (UAH 5.5 billion), and excise tax decreased slightly to UAH 11.4 billion (UAH 11.5 billion).
Value-added tax also fell to UAH 20.2 billion (UAH 22.8 billion): UAH 32.8 billion (UAH 34.8 billion) was collected and UAH 12.7 billion (UAH 12.0 billion) was refunded.
Receipts from the State Customs Service increased in May slightly decreased to UAH 48.4 billion from UAH 48.9 billion in April.
The Ministry of Finance pointed out that the monthly revenue estimates for the general fund of the state budget, according to operational data, were exceeded by 8.6% (+12.0 billion UAH), including by the State Tax Service – by 6.6% (+6.2 billion UAH), while the State Customs Service – by 12.1% (+5.2 billion UAH).
At the same time, there were no receipts to the general fund of the state budget of international aid in the form of grants, while in April they amounted to UAH 2.7 billion, in March – UAH 3.1 billion.
“In general, according to operational data, at the end of May 2024, the general and special funds of the state budget received 227.4 billion UAH (in April – 200.8 billion UAH, in March – 225.9 billion UAH) of taxes, fees and other payments. In addition, about UAH 42.0 billion (in April – UAH 40.1 billion) in the form of ERUs was received by the Pension Fund and social insurance funds,” the ministry added, thanking taxpayers for their contribution to the support of the Ukrainian army and financial stability of the country.
Data on expenditures in May are not yet available.
As reported, the Verkhovna Rada adopted the state budget for 2024 with a deficit of UAH 1.57 trillion, or 20.6% of projected GDP. Revenues of the state budget-2024 are set at UAH 1.77 trillion (not taking into account possible grant aid), expenditures – UAH 3.36 trillion at an average annual exchange rate of UAH 40.7/$1.
State budget-2023 revenues amounted to UAH 2.67 trillion, of which grant aid amounted to UAH 0.43 trillion. Cash expenditures of the state budget last year exceeded UAH 4 trillion, while the deficit amounted to UAH 1.33 trillion at an average annual exchange rate of about UAH 36.6/$1.
In late May, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko estimated the need for additional military expenditures in the 2024 state budget at $5 bln, while according to the head of the parliamentary committee on finance, tax and customs policy Daniil Getmantsev, “expert estimates that the actual gap is at least twice as large as the current estimate of UAH 200 bln ($5 bln) are not far from the truth”.
In this regard, the possibility of raising the military levy and value-added tax, as well as a number of excise taxes, is being considered.
Earlier Experts Club analytical center and Maxim Urakin released a video analysis on macroeconomics in Ukraine and in the world, more video analysis is available here.
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