Experts named legislative innovations in the last month of spring
The last month of spring is a peculiar time. On the one hand, long holidays, the opening of the summer season, the hot breath of summer, the anticipation of vacation time. On the other hand, the work season is not over yet and there is still a lot to be done. Maybe that’s why May usually sees a lot of legislative changes in a variety of areas. The coming month is no exception: important innovations await clients of banks and non-state pension funds, gardeners and applicants, former pilots and miners, utility debtors and champagne lovers…Experts commented on the nuances of the upcoming changes for MK.
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From May 1, Russians will be able to transfer up to 30 million rubles monthly between their accounts in different banks without commission. True, this will only be possible through transfers via the Faster Payment System (FPS), and exclusively by phone number and account number. Commissions for transfers at the bank's cash desk and by card number will continue to be calculated according to intra-bank tariffs. At the same time, the size of the transfer without commission from one person to another remains unchanged — 100 thousand rubles per month. The commission above this amount will also not change: 0.5% of the transfer amount, but not more than 1.5 thousand rubles.
“From May 1, all Russians will be able to transfer up to 30 million rubles monthly between their accounts in different banks without commission. This news is certainly positive for citizens. First of all, it solves the problem of transferring funds from bank to bank to yourself.
The innovation is especially relevant now – when deposit rates are high. Many people prefer to renew their deposit with the same bank even when competitors offer more favorable conditions. Limits on free transfers, commissions, difficulties with withdrawing cash, and simply a banal reluctance to bother going to ATMs and branches for an additional 2-3% — all this stopped people from opening deposits in other banks. Now the problem will be solved literally in one click.
I wonder how banks will act in this situation: will they start raising deposit rates to prevent the outflow of funds? In theory, this innovation should stimulate competition between banks for clients. Some banks have already introduced the new option ahead of schedule — according to customer reviews, everything works.”
Starting from May, non-state pension funds (NPFs) will be required to comply with the so-called “cooling period”, which will be two weeks. During this period, clients who have entered into a pension agreement through an agent will be able to terminate such agreement without any penalties. Previously, this practice was voluntary for non-state pension funds; now it will become mandatory.
In addition, when concluding an agreement, NPFs are now required to provide information about the guarantee system if the fund’s license is revoked or it declares bankruptcy. In particular, the potential client should see the exact amount of compensation and the detailed payment procedure in such cases.
“The practice of introducing so-called “cooling periods” is designed to protect the interests of consumers in the field of complex services, which, of course, include financial ones. Interaction with a non-state pension fund requires the consumer of these services to understand all the nuances in detail, read the contract, and consult with lawyers if necessary.
However, as practice shows, Russians very often enter into agreements on emotions, on the basis of incomplete information. The reasons for this can be different: a lack of desire to understand, lack of time, lack of special knowledge… As a result, often after the conclusion of the contract, circumstances unfavorable for the consumer that he did not take into account become clear. Therefore, such “cooling periods”, which make it possible to exit the transaction without losses, are definitely beneficial to the consumer. Here the state proceeds from the fact that the acquirer is the weaker and unprotected party in the transaction, since it does not have a certain level of competence in financial matters.
Based on the same goals — to protect the consumer — additional responsibilities are imposed on the financial institution: provide complete information about the payment schedule and amounts, schedule in case of bankruptcy of the NPF.»
In May, the monthly pension supplement will be recalculated for former civil aviation flight crew members and ex-coal industry workers. These payments are due to them by law, in connection with harmful, dangerous, stressful and difficult working conditions. The additional payment is made up of funds that employers transfer for these employees during their working career.
By law, the amount of payments to these two categories of pensioners is adjusted four times a year — February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1. The pension supplement is individual for everyone. It depends on the average monthly earnings and length of service, which gives the right to additional payment.
“We are talking about targeted additional payments to two categories of pensioners. The additional payment is assigned if there is a certain length of service as a member of the flight crew. For men it is 25 years, for women — 20 years. It is important to remember that retirement must be from the position that has the corresponding right to a bonus. In the current conditions, additional payments to former miners are of particular importance. After all, they are designed, first of all, for residents of new regions of the Russian Federation — in particular, Donbass, known throughout the world for its coal mines. This will be a good addition for pensioners of the DPR and LPR, who devoted their working youth to coal mining. For miners, work experience is also required for such an additional payment — for workers in underground and open-pit mining and those employed in the construction of mines — 25 years or from 20 years — as workers in leading professions in the industry.»
From May 1, the government expanded the free gasification program to gardening partnerships (SNT). That is, the networks will be installed free of charge to the boundaries of land plots. An application for connection can be submitted to the gas distribution organization (GRO) either by the owner of the site or by the chairman of the SNT. The decision on additional gasification must be made at a general meeting of members of the partnership; its minutes must be attached to the application for connection. Note that gas was supplied to SNT before, but only if they were located within the boundaries of populated areas. The pipe reached the boundaries of the partnership, and then the owners had to connect the plots and houses at their own expense.
“Today, many people prefer to live in their country houses all year round. This gives rise to a situation related to the possibility of registration in garden houses, which in fact are no longer such houses. In such conditions, a year-round and reliable supply of utility resources is required, that is, electricity and gas, which is used for heating the house and cooking. For this reason, it was necessary to extend the social gasification program to SNT. Today, not all settlements are included in it, but only those in which it is technologically possible to install a gas pipeline and there is a special website on which those settlements are indicated. This is the problem the government is now trying to solve.
Extending the program to SNT is unlikely to require additional funds. Everything will happen within the already allocated limits. There should be enough power. And the main problems are pricing and waiting times, when a settlement has already been connected to gas, but has not yet been connected to specific houses. Here gas workers, of course, can draw up an investment program and invest their funds, and only then reimburse these expenses through a subscription fee.”
From May, banks and microfinance organizations (MFOs) will waive fees for changing the terms of the agreement. The Bank of Russia issued a corresponding recommendation. As stated in its circular, borrowers may be offered, for an additional fee: to receive a loan or loan at a reduced rate; reduce the size or change the date of making the periodic payment in case the client’s salary suddenly decreases and the schedule for receiving it changes; reduce the 30-day notice period for early loan repayment; the ability to skip another payment; the possibility of paid debt restructuring.
“It is worth paying attention to the fact that this is not a ban, but a recommendation. However, I have no doubt that most banks and microfinance organizations will adhere to this recommendation. The regulator still sees the risks of increased debt exposure of the population, and this is another signal to the financial sector to reduce its appetite.
At the same time, those services (rate reduction, deferred payment, etc.) that the bank offered for an additional fee were often beneficial to the clients themselves. Of course, due to the low financial literacy of part of the population, risks could arise when an MFO or bank sold these additional services to those who did not need them. On the one hand, there were conscious borrowers who would benefit from lowering the rate for additional money, acquiring the opportunity to repay the debt at a convenient time or defer it for a certain period. On the other hand, it should be noted that bank employees always have certain guidelines for selling such services. And in the desire to fulfill the plan in the moment, it was often forgotten that in the long term the bank could acquire a risky client who is unable to service his loan, and the citizen will face late payments, which he could have avoided.”
From May 1, the excise tax on sparkling wines, including Russian champagne, will increase to 119 rubles per liter; wine — up to 108 rubles per liter; liqueur wine — up to 141 rubles per liter. An increase in excise taxes will almost inevitably lead to higher prices for alcoholic beverages themselves.
“Increasing excise taxes on various types of domestic sparkling and still wines will be a reason for producers of such drinks to increase prices. However, we can expect that, even despite rising prices, sales of Russian wine will grow this year. First of all, because a large number of foreign brands have left the domestic market, and the depreciating ruble last year significantly increased prices for the remaining imported wine. In any case, Russian wine products will be more competitive compared to imported analogues. It is unlikely that an increase in alcohol prices will be able to greatly accelerate inflation, since it is more influenced by prices for fruits and vegetables and essential products. And among buyers of premium wine brands, demand, as a rule, is not too sensitive to price increases, since they choose, first of all, quality and brand.”
May 2 is the last day for submitting the 3-NDFL declaration. If a citizen had income in 2023 for which he or she must report independently, then a declaration must be submitted. In particular, this applies to cases where a person has sold a home and the minimum tenure period has not yet expired; rented out housing without being self-employed; received expensive gifts not from close relatives; won a lottery, casino or advertising campaign. After submitting the declaration, tax authorities calculate the tax. It must be paid before July 15.
“I remind you that the declaration can be submitted through the taxpayer’s personal account, through the State Services, after filling out the declaration in a specialized program, which must be downloaded on the tax website, and the old fashioned way, on paper: personally bring it to the inspectorate, send it by mail or through the MFC (if such a service is available in the region).
Those who plan to submit a declaration through the taxpayer’s personal account or State Services, hurry up: this year users are faced with technical problems that do not allow them to send it to the inspectorate.
If you are late with the deadline for filing a declaration, the fine will be 5% of unpaid tax for each month of delay. But if the tax itself, calculated in the declaration, is not paid on time, then from the next day penalties will be charged in the amount of 1/300 of the key rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation for each day of delay. If there are violations, the requirement to pay tax, penalties and fines will be sent to the taxpayer’s personal account.”
— From May 1, the rules for admitting applicants for targeted training at universities and colleges will change. However, the minimum period of service after training will remain the same — three years. And the maximum period will now be limited to five years. All customers for targeted training are required to post their proposals on the platform of the Ministry of Labor in a separate section. Moreover, there will be no connection to the place of residence — the applicant will be able to choose offers in any region of the Russian Federation. However, each applicant will be able to conclude only one contract, only for one specialty and only at one university.
— From May 1, the sale of expired dairy products and water will be automatically blocked at the checkout counters of large retail chains.
— From May 1, the sale of expired dairy products and water will be automatically blocked at the checkout counters of large retail chains.
— From May 3, utility debtors will be protected from debt collectors. The list of citizens who cannot assign the right to repay utility debts will be expanded. Including, the list will include landlords of residential premises under a social tenancy agreement, under a lease agreement for state or municipal housing stock, as well as for the rental of residential premises of a social housing stock. If these persons want to sell debts for housing and communal services to collectors, the transactions will be recognized as void.
— From May 15, the law will oblige relatives of missing people to donate DNA to improve the search for missing people. DNA samples will be taken from parents, children, brothers and sisters of such people. Information about the genome will be stored for 70 years or until the missing person is found.