The government did not support the project on a restaurant tax in favor of SVO participants

The government recommended sending “for conceptual revision” a bill on introducing a “restaurant tax” in the amount of 1% of the bill amount in favor of participants in the military operation in Ukraine. The authorities clarified that in its current form the initiative contradicts the Tax Code, they report “Vedomosti”.

According to the government’s conclusion, the authors of the project propose to create a new fee without making changes to the Tax Code. This contradicts his provisions that all taxes and fees are established only by him. Also, the draft does not specify who will be the “collection” operator and in what order the funds should be transferred.

The bill was introduced to the State Duma in September 2023 by deputies Mikhail Matveev and Vyacheslav Markhaev (both from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation). They proposed introducing a new fee in Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and the Krasnoyarsk Territory from May 2024. Mr. Matveev, in a conversation with Vedomosti, suggested that “99% of the bill will be rejected.” He did not say whether the project would be finalized in accordance with the authorities’ comments.

Commission on Law and Order and Legality of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg back in October rejected proposed legislation. Chairman of the commission Konstantin Chebykin (United Russia) said that supporting the military is “a personal matter,” and he called the introduction of a separate levy an excessive measure.

Laura Keffer