Economist Safonov proposed a new taxation scheme for wealthy Russians

Over the next three years, revenue from the tax on rich Russians will amount to about 570 billion rubles. Every year this amount will only increase. The topic of the rich and their payments to the budget has once again stirred up society, and local proposals have been sent to the Ministry of Finance to urgently introduce a progressive scale of taxation for individuals…

As you know, the flat scale of personal income tax in Russia was abandoned in 2021. For those who have an annual income of more than 5 million rubles (over 417 thousand per month), the income tax today is not 13%, as for all other categories of Russians, but 15%.

Fiscal authorities do not disclose the exact number of its payers. According to Rosstat, they are less than one percent of the population, independent experts number 2%. Most likely, we will never know the exact number of those “who live well in Rus’.” Not everyone who has an income of more than 5 million is eager to share their happiness with their neighbors, that is, an increased tax and, using various schemes, avoid paying it.

According to some experts, it might be more effective for the country’s economy to introduce criminal penalties for tax evasion, equating such an act with theft of public funds.

But, apparently, the authorities are so far satisfied with the results of the experiment, which began in 2021. In the next three years (from 2024 to 2026), a 15 percent tax will bring the federal budget an additional 570 billion rubles.

It would seem that the government should be interested in switching to a progressive scale without delaying matters. Moreover, at the beginning of the month a corresponding bill was submitted to the State Duma. Its essence is to exempt Russians with incomes below 30 thousand rubles per month from paying. But for people with incomes of 5 million rubles or more per year, introduce a progressive scale – 25 and 30%. And if the income exceeds 100 million per year, then charge 35%.

Then there will be more revenue to the treasury. After all, from 2024 to 2026 the budget is projected to be in deficit – accordingly, 1.6 trillion rubles; 0.9 trillion and 1.5 trillion. It would seem that rich Russians should plug this financial hole.

The official reaction of the Cabinet of Ministers to the parliamentary bill is not known. But the position of Deputy Minister of Finance of the Russian Federation Alexei Sazanov was voiced, who stated that “it makes no sense to expand the progressive scale of personal income tax now, the tax system meets current realities.”

Leading expert of the Center for Political Technologies Nikita Maslennikov agrees with the position of the Ministry of Finance.

.. “The main thing in the proposed parliamentary bill was not the progressive rate for high incomes, but the exemption from income tax for persons with incomes of less than 30 thousand rubles per month,” he says. – In this case, the revenues missing from the budget amount to about one trillion rubles. And what could be collected from the highly paid segments of the population gave an increase to the budget of approximately 1.132 trillion. As a result, the effect is almost zero. At the same time, if you change even one rate, you need to change the entire tax system, balance it, allocate payments to different social funds…

At the same time, according to the economist, questions about social injustice in taxation in society still remain. But, most likely, they will be resolved in the next budget cycle, in the second half of this decade, not earlier.

“The issue of introducing a progressive taxation scale is long overdue,” says Alexander Safonov, Doctor of Economics, Professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation. – But there are fears that the revision of new rates above certain amounts of income may lead to highly qualified and well-paid personnel being washed out of the labor market. Those who are proactive and creative, who are moving our economy forward today. Which should never be allowed. .

It seems to me that it is quite possible to introduce increased rates for very high incomes, say, from 20 million rubles per year. I don’t think these specialists will run anywhere. As a rule, these are top managers of large companies or business owners – they will not take it with them abroad. That is, let’s say, from 5 million, keep the current rate of 15%, and with an annual income of 20 million, make it higher.