Ukrainian banks earned UAH 54.07 billion in net profit in the first half of 2026, while their pre-tax profit reached UAH 108.57 billion, the Experts Club information and analytical center reports, based on Opendatabot calculations and data from the National Bank of Ukraine. The material was published on August 19, 2026.
Banks’ income tax expenses amounted to UAH 54.5 billion, thereby exceeding half of the financial result earned before taxation. During the same period last year, banks accrued UAH 21.99 billion in tax.
In its review of the results of solvent banks, the National Bank also reported that the sector’s net profit in the first half of the year amounted to about UAH 54 billion and was 32% lower year-on-year. One of the main reasons was the application of an increased 50% corporate income tax rate for banks in 2026.
At the same time, the banking sector’s operating profitability remains high. According to the NBU, the pre-tax profit of solvent banks in the first half of the year increased by 6.5% compared with the corresponding period of 2025.
In 2025, banks paid corporate income tax at the standard sector rate of 25%, but in 2026 the rate was raised again to 50%. The NBU has repeatedly warned that increased taxation reduces banks’ ability to build up capital and expand lending to the economy.
The primary sources are NBU data and the Opendatabot study dated August 19, 2026.
The number of UK residents with a personal fortune of at least GBP1 million fell by 7% in 2025 to 442,000, according to calculations by the Adam Smith Institute. This is the lowest figure since the 2008 global financial crisis. Compared to the peak in 2021, when the country had approximately 1.07 million millionaires, their number has decreased by about 59%.
For the purposes of the study, a millionaire is defined as an adult resident of the United Kingdom with a net worth of at least GBP1 million in constant 2025 prices. The calculation includes real estate, pension savings, cash, and investments, net of debt.
The Institute attributes the decline primarily to a decrease in the real value of assets. Post-pandemic interest rate hikes have put pressure on the value of pension savings and high-priced real estate, particularly in London. An additional factor is the low savings rate among British households, which limits the accumulation of private capital.
The study’s authors cite the departure of wealthy residents and the UK’s declining appeal to foreign entrepreneurs and investors as another reason. The Institute points to high tax rates, the abolition of the former “non-dom” tax regime, and discussions regarding new taxes on wealth and capital gains.
Effective April 6, 2025, the UK replaced the “non-dom” tax system with a new regime based on tax residency. New residents who have not lived in the country for the previous ten years may, for the first four years, receive an exemption from UK tax on foreign income and capital gains. After this period ends, the general rules apply to them.
The Adam Smith Institute also emphasizes that its data are estimates. The UK does not have an up-to-date government registry of personal wealth, so the indicator is calculated based on data from the Office for National Statistics and statistical modeling. It primarily reflects the general trend in changes to private wealth, rather than the exact number of wealthy residents.
The Institute has called on British authorities to abandon plans to introduce a wealth tax, lower the capital gains tax, and review the tax treatment of wealthy foreign residents. According to its data, the top 1% of British earners account for 29.1% of income tax revenue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in cooperation with the State Tax Service of Ukraine, is expanding access for Ukrainian citizens residing abroad to the service for registering individuals in the State Register of Individual Taxpayers, which includes issuing an electronic taxpayer identification card (RNUKPN).
According to the MFA’s press service, a pilot version of the service was launched earlier this year—issuing RNUKPN cards to children under 18 upon application by a parent, submitted via the “e-Consul” system’s online portal or through a Ukrainian embassy or consulate.
As of July 30, the service became available to any Ukrainian citizen residing abroad who holds a valid identity document.
Ukrainian citizens aged 14 and older may apply for the service. To submit an application, you must visit the nearest Ukrainian embassy or consulate in person; through a representative acting on the basis of a notarized power of attorney or a corresponding document confirming the authority of the person’s legal representative (guardians, custodians, adoptive parents, foster parents at family-type children’s homes, foster caregivers, heads of relevant institutions, etc.). The application can be submitted either online through your personal account in the “e-Consul” system or in person at an embassy or consulate.
Submitting the application independently through your personal account in the “e-Consul” system is free of charge; if the application is submitted through a Ukrainian embassy or consulate, a consular fee for automated data processing is charged ($40 / EUR37).
Detailed information on how to apply for the service and the required documents is available on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal.
The ministry emphasized that the RNUKPN serves as a link between government registries, and its existence provides access to an ever-increasing number of digital government services, even abroad.
The launch of these new service features was made possible through cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the State Tax Service of Ukraine, with support from the IOM, UNDP, and UNHCR.
“We are continuing our work to digitize and simplify access to government services for Ukrainian citizens abroad. Every such reform is a demonstration of the state’s respect for its citizens. And when there is a sense of respect, there is motivation to maintain ties with Ukraine and the unity of our people both in our homeland and across all continents,” said Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga.
CITIZEN, e-Consul, MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TAX, РНУКПН, Сибига
Bulgarian authorities are considering changing the methodology for determining the taxable value of real estate, which could lead to an increase in annual property taxes and transaction costs when buying or selling real estate.
The changes may be included in the 2027 state budget, said Bulgarian MP Yavor Gechev. The legislative framework for implementing the new system is scheduled to be drafted in October–November 2026, after which a special working group will determine the new valuation coefficients. A final decision has not yet been made.
When calculating the taxable value, it is proposed to take into account more accurately the property’s location, type, and technical condition, the year of construction, as well as actual prices on the real estate market. The current methodology has not been revised for many years, so the tax assessment of many apartments and houses is significantly lower than their market value.
According to tax consultant Mykola Ivanchev, a reasonable increase in the tax value could be 20–30%. At the same time, he recommends limiting the increase to 20% to avoid placing an excessive burden on property owners, especially retirees and low-income citizens.
As an example, the expert cited an apartment or house in Sofia with a market value of 150,000–200,000 euros, whose tax assessment is approximately 50,000 euros. At the municipal rate of 2 per mille, the owner currently pays about 100 euros per year. After a 20–30% increase in the assessment, the payment could rise to approximately 120–130 euros.
The reform will affect more than just owners’ annual payments. The tax assessment is used to calculate a portion of local taxes, notary fees, and other costs associated with the purchase or sale of real estate. Therefore, an increase in the assessment will make transactions somewhat more expensive even if municipal rates remain unchanged.
Legal experts suggest that rising costs associated with purchasing and maintaining housing could affect demand. Properties that previously attracted buyers with low taxes and operating costs may become less appealing if mandatory payments increase significantly.
Authorities have long delayed revising the methodology due to the high proportion of homeowners. According to estimates by participants in the discussion, over 90% of Bulgaria’s residents own real estate, so a tax increase could trigger significant public and political backlash.
At the same time, the idea of a higher tax on second and subsequent apartments is being discussed. However, experts consider this difficult to administer: about 8–9% of the population owns multiple properties, and the additional costs for municipalities may prove to be comparable to the expected revenue.
Thus, Bulgaria has not yet made a decision to raise the property tax. At this stage, discussions are focused on updating the tax assessment of properties, with the possible implementation of a new methodology starting in 2027. The actual amount of payments will depend on the approved coefficients and rates set by each municipality.
The volume of transfers via the international financial service “NovaPay” (TM NovaPay) in the first half of 2026 increased by 41% compared to the same period in 2025, reaching 391 billion hryvnia, according to a company statement released on Friday.
According to the statement, the number of transfers increased by 12% to 258 million.
The press release, citing NovaPay’s acting CEO Ihor Prykhodko, notes that over the first six months of this year, the financial service paid 19% more in taxes and fees compared to the same period last year—905 million hryvnias.
As previously reported, in the first quarter of 2026, NovaPay increased the volume of transfers by 53% compared to the same period in 2025—to over 200 billion UAH—while the number of transactions rose by 12%—to 126 million.
From January through March 2026, the company transferred approximately 540 million UAH to the state budget, which is 32% more than during the same period in 2025.
In 2025, NovaPay increased its revenue by 10.4% to 10.01 billion UAH, while its net profit decreased by 22% to 2.58 billion UAH.
NovaPay was founded in 2001 as an international financial service provider, part of the Nova Group (“Nova Poshta”), and provides financial services both online and offline at “Nova Poshta” branches. In 2023, the company became the first non-bank financial institution in Ukraine to receive an expanded license from the NBU, which allowed it to open accounts and issue cards; it was also the first non-bank to launch its own financial app with a wide range of financial services at the end of last year.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, the company accounts for approximately 22.7% of the total volume of domestic money transfers.
China will gradually introduce a consumption tax on lithium and lithium-ion batteries, as well as solar cells, which have been exempt from taxation since 2015, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Mercury-free, nickel-metal hydride, lithium, and lithium-ion batteries, as well as vanadium flow batteries, will be taxed at a rate of 2% starting September 1, 2026. Starting in September 2027, the rate will increase to 4%.
For photovoltaic, or solar, cells, a 2% tax will take effect on April 1, 2027, and will also be raised to 4% starting in April 2028.
The new rules were announced by China’s Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Taxation Administration.
The introduction of the tax could increase the production costs of batteries and solar cells in China. If manufacturers pass on the additional costs entirely to buyers, selling prices could rise by approximately 2% in the initial phase and up to 4% once the rate is fully implemented.
However, the actual price increase will depend on competition, corporate profitability, and contracts with buyers. Chinese manufacturers may absorb part of the costs themselves to avoid losing market share in both domestic and foreign markets.
The changes will potentially affect the cost of electric vehicles, energy storage systems, and solar power plants, as batteries and photovoltaic modules are among the key components of such projects. At the same time, due to the high proportion of other costs, the price of a finished electric vehicle or solar power plant will not necessarily increase by the full 4%.
Some promising technologies will remain temporarily exempt from the tax until December 2028. These include sodium-ion and solid-state batteries, fuel cells, as well as perovskite, tandem, and gallium arsenide solar cells.
China currently levies a 4% consumption tax on most battery products. At the same time, lithium and lithium-ion batteries, as well as solar and fuel cells, have been exempt since 2015.
This policy has facilitated rapid expansion of production capacity and helped Chinese companies become global leaders. However, the excess supply has simultaneously intensified price competition and reduced profitability for some manufacturers.
Analysts at Citic Securities estimate that the tax changes could generate an additional 45 billion yuan, or about $6.6 billion, in revenue for the Chinese government.
Following the announcement of the new rules, shares of solar cell manufacturer Longi Green Energy Technology rose 2.1%, JinkoSolar’s rose 4%, and those of CATL, the world’s largest battery manufacturer, rose 4.6%.
