An increase in the excise tax on heated tobacco products by 200% from April 1 this year and its further growth by 30% (up to 320% in total) in 2022-2025 – such a compromise solution will allow avoiding too sharp price jumps and will provide more tax revenues than the alternative “shock” scenario, according to the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE).
As reported on the union’s website on Monday, the business supports relevant bill No. 4278, which provides for such a procedure for increasing the excise tax. At the same time, the organization believes that this approach, among other things, will save jobs in companies, and the legal market, without reducing tax revenues to the budgets of various levels.
According to the business league, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, when considering bill No. 4278, supported an increase in the excise tax on heated tobacco products by 200% in 2021 and a subsequent annual increase by 30% in 2022-2025.
The ULIE referred in a press release to the data of the Institute for Economics and Forecasting of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, according to which a gradual increase in excise tax rates on heated tobacco products within five years will provide UAH 18.7 billion more tax revenues than the alternative “shock” scenario with an increase in excise tax immediately in 4.2 times this year.
At the same time, the ULIE clarified that under the model of a gradual increase in excise tax, Philip Morris Ukraine tobacco company guaranteed the payment of more than UAH 11 billion of excise tax on heated tobacco products to the state budget of Ukraine during 2021-2022.
The Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs said that legislative amendments affecting the consumer basket should correlate with the purchasing power of consumers, which will ultimately be affected by the rise in prices for products. “Otherwise, this situation will stimulate smuggling and the illegal sector,” the business league said.
As reported, on January 16, 2020, the Verkhovna Rada adopted law No. 1210, which introduced amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine, increasing the excise tax rate on heated tobacco products by 4 times from January 1, 2021. Also, a separate product subgroup is introduced for heated tobacco products.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine has called on Head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Danylo Hetmantsev to amend the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding the excise tax rate on heated tobacco products, according to the organization’s website.
“Since January 2021, law No. 466 has increased the tax rate on heated tobacco products by 320%. In the current economic realities, such a sharp increase in tax can lead to devastating consequences for the market and the economy of the country, since a significant increase in the price of such products will contribute to growth of illegal market, as a result of which the state will not receive the planned budget revenues,” the organization said.
According to the companies-members of the chamber, the plan to increase the excise tax rate on cigarettes needs to be amended by increasing it until 2030 with a 10% annual rate increase, as well as maintaining the current ad valorem component of the excise tax. At the same time, from January 1, 2021, the amount of excise tax is UAH 1,456 per 1,000 pieces with an annual tax rate increase of 20% to UAH 2,517 in 2024.
According to the American Chamber of Commerce, from January 1 of this year, the amendments introduced by law No. 466 also make it impossible to sell, transport and store liquids for electronic cigarettes already produced in 2020. Such restriction deprives tobacco companies of the opportunity to exercise their right to property, including storing, transporting, selling or exporting products outside the customs territory of Ukraine, the message said.
As reported, on January 16, 2020, the Verkhovna Rada adopted law No. 1210, which introduced amendments to the Tax Code, increasing the excise tax rate on heated tobacco products four-fold from January 1, 2021.
