The Association of Taxpayers of Ukraine has announced the results of the rating “Honest Taxpayers – 2020”. For the second year in a row, the Avtostrada Group of Companies won in the Road Construction category.
The High Rating Commission assessed, in particular, the completeness and timeliness of taxes and fees payment, compliance with tax discipline, the number of officially employed persons, participation in social programs and charity events, and more.
Avtostrada Group of Companies is one of the largest taxpayers in the road construction sector of Ukraine. The company undergoes an annual audit of financial statements in accordance with international standards, having transparent business conduct and social responsibility as key priorities.
“Transparent business management, audit of financial statements according to international standards, high level of tax burden, full and timely payment of all taxes and fees – these are main company’s principles from the first days of its establishment. And it’s such a pleasure that our approach is praised by independent experts. Paid taxes are an investment in the country’s welfare and a contribution to our future. I’m grateful to the Taxpayers’ Association for the important initiative and organization of the rating!” – Maksym Shkil, the founder of the Avtostrada Group of Companies, commented on the award.
The Association has been determining the nominations for 10 years, and it’s an anniversary rating. The main purpose of the rating is to strengthen the role and authority of the taxpayer and increase the overall culture of tax payment in Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine plans to exempt air carriers from taxation on internal flights, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
“In order to enhance travel within the country, we plan to exempt air carriers from taxation on such routes. This step will reduce the costs of companies and cut the cost of air tickets for internal flights. Ukrainians, for their part, will have greater access to fast travel around the country,” Shmyhal said on Facebook on Sunday, April 25.
According to him, for this it is necessary to amend the current legislation. “I have already set this task for the ministries,” the head of government said.
The prime minister said the government also discussed the issue of intensifying cooperation in the tourism sector with Turkey. “We set a goal not only to expand sea and air traffic in order to open new and convenient routes for Ukrainians, but also to encourage Turkish citizens to come to Ukraine for family vacations,” Shmyhal said.
Enterprises of Ferrexpo (Poltava Mining, Yeristovo Mining and Belanovo Mining) paid more than UAH 2.45 billion of taxes and charges to budgets of different levels by results of January-September 2019, which is more than for the corresponding period of year 2019.
According to the structure of the enterprises’ payments, during the period under review, Poltava Mining (Ferrexpo Poltava Mining, FPM, belongs to Ferrexpo) transferred taxes and contributions to the budget of Ukraine for more than UAH 1923.0 million, Yeristovo Mining (Ferrexpo Yeristovo Mining, FYM, belongs to Ferrexpo) – more than UAH 508.5 million, Belanovo Mining (Ferrexpo Belanovo Mining, FBM belongs to Ferrexpo) – more than UAH 13.5 million.
Poltava Mining paid to the local budget more than UAH 221.8 million, to the regional budget – more than UAH 228.4 million, to the State Budget of Ukraine – more than UAH 1206.2 million (13%, 14% and 73% accordingly). The unified social tax of the enterprise exceeded UAH 266.3 million.
Yeristovo Mining transferred to the local budget more than UAH 57.8 million, to the regional budget – more than UAH 73.0 million, to the State Budget of Ukraine – more than UAH 326.0 million (13%, 16% and 71% accordingly). The unified social tax of the enterprise exceeded UAH 51.7 million.
Belanovo Mining paid to the local budget more than UAH 6.1 million, to the regional budget – more than UAH 0.8 million, to the State Budget of Ukraine – more than UAH 3.3 million (60%, 8% and 32% accordingly). The unified social tax of the enterprise exceeded UAH 3.3 million.
For nine months of 2020, FPM paid the corporate profit tax in amount of more than UAH 955.3 million, environmental tax – more than UAH 88.7 million, land tax – more than UAH 42.7 million, income tax – more than UAH 232.5 million, other taxes and contributions – more than UAH 51.7 million. Royalty payments exceeded UAH 285.5 million.
Yeristovo Mining paid for the same period environmental tax in amount of more than UAH 26.5 million, personal income tax – more than UAH 46.7 million, income tax – more than UAH 94.7 million and other taxes and contributions – more than UAH 51.7 million. Royalty payments exceeded UAH 194.5 million.
Main payments of Belanovo Mining to the budget for nine months of the current year included land tax in amount of more than UAH 3.7 million and personal income tax – more than UAH 3.6 million.
Notes to Editors:
Ferrexpo is a Swiss headquartered iron ore company with assets in Ukraine. It has been mining, processing and selling high quality iron ore pellets to the global steel industry for over 40 years. In 2019, the Group produced 10.5 million tonnes of pellets ranking it as the 3rd largest exporter of pellets to the global steel industry with a market share of approximately 8%. Ferrexpo has a diversified customer base supplying steel mills in Austria, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Vietnam and America. Ferrexpo has a premium listing on the main market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker FXPO.
PrJSC Philip Morris Ukraine, a large tobacco producer, proposes to replace a 320% tax increase on tobacco products for electric heating, which should come into force on January 1, 2021, with an annual increase of 50% during 2022-2025 or 200% in 2021 and 20% in subsequent years.
According to the published letter of Philip Morris Ukraine CEO Konstantinos Salvaras to the president of Ukraine, a gradual increase in the excise tax on tobacco products for electric heating by 50% per year or by 200% in 2021 and by 20% in subsequent years will save the market from a total transition to the shadows and bring more revenues to the state budget than a sharp increase in the excise tax rate by 320%.
“We urge the government to move away from the practice of unpredictable and unstable tax policy, which affects both the attitude of investors and the economy of the country. Tax increases should be gradual, not fourfold,” the Philip Morris letter says.
The company reported that the government and academia share the vision of a gradual increase in the tax rate. Thus, the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture supports the idea of increasing the rate on tobacco products for electric heating by 50% from January 1, 2021 and by 50% during 2022-2025, and a study conducted by the Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine shows that a gradual increase in the excise tax on tobacco products for electric heating will provide additional UAH 18.7 million of revenues to the state budget compared to a sharp increase in the tax rate.
According to Philip Morris’ estimates, a sharp increase in excise taxes will lead to the loss of potential and real investments, state budget revenues, an increase in the level of smuggling, and a conflict with EU legislation.
Interpipe international vertically integrated pipe and wheel company in January-March of this year increased payment of taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels and extra-budgetary funds by 3% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 803 million.
The company said on Facebook the amount of contributions to the state budget totaled UAH 547 million, to local budgets some UAH 147 million, another UAH 109 million was transferred as social security tax.
“The Ukrainian industrial company Interpipe and its assets make a significant contribution to filling the state treasury. Last year we updated the record for paying taxes and fees, but we do not stop there: according to the results of the first quarter of 2020 some UAH 803 million were transferred to the budgets of different levels. In addition, given the increased burden on regional budgets due to coronavirus, Interpipe refused tax holidays provided by the Verkhovna Rada and allocated UAH 17 million for the anti-crisis program to combat COVID-19 in Dnipro and Dnipropetrovsk region,” the company said.
As reported, Interpipe in 2019 increased payment of taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels by 50% compared to 2018, to UAH 3.25 billion. At the same time, the amount of contributions to the state budget totaled about UAH 2.167 billion (an increase of 62%), to local budgets about UAH 625 million (38% more). Another UAH 462 million (21% more) was transferred as social security tax.
PJSC Donbasenergo in 2019 paid UAH 701.5 million of taxes and other mandatory payments to the national and local budgets, the press service of the company has reported. Thus, UAH 665.7 million of VAT, environmental tax, the royalty for the use of water resources and other taxes was paid to the national budget. Some UAH 35.8 million (land tax, property tax and other taxes) was paid to the local budget.
The company said that according to the Tax Code, starting from July 2019 Donbasenergo as an electricity generating company paid UAH 80.8 million of the excise duty, which is set at 3.2% of the cost of each kWh of electricity generated.
Donbasenergo owns Starobesheve (located in the occupied territory) and Sloviansk TPPs with a total installed capacity of 2,880 MW, in particular Sloviansk TPP’s capacity is 880 MW. At the end of March 2017, the generation company announced the loss of control over the operation of Starobesheve TPP, as well as part of structural units located in the temporarily uncontrolled territory.
PrJSC Energoinvest Holding owns a 60.86% stake in Donbasenergo, another 25% is owned by the state.
