For passing the GTO standards and medical examination, 6 thousand rubles will be returned per year
At a meeting on Thursday, the government supported the tax innovations proposed by the Ministry of Finance. Anton Siluanov in his report announced deductions for passing the GTO and undergoing medical examination. And he said that the rich will have to pay not only the maximum income tax, but also fees not provided for other Russians.
Photo: duma.gov.ru
The Russian government did not change the order established during the pandemic for the sake of discussing tax innovations. The press was traditionally not invited to the Cabinet meeting. However, in addition to Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks, the television version included a large report by the head of the Ministry of Finance, Anton Siluanov, who outlined all the nuances of the planned changes. As at the parliamentary hearings in the Duma, the key concept to which the speakers appealed turned out to be “justice.”
The head of the Cabinet of Ministers called building a more equitable tax system an important condition for the further socio-economic development of the country. Additional funds, he said, will be used to support families with children, build kindergartens and schools, extend maternity capital, implement promising industrial projects, strengthen technological sovereignty, etc. Mishustin said that the government “with reserve” took into account the recommendations of deputies and experts when determining the “first bar” for applying a progressive personal income tax rate. They proposed starting from double the average salary in the country (that is, from 150 thousand rubles per month), but the Cabinet of Ministers increased this level to 200 thousand rubles. “As a result of the changes, only 3% of the country’s working population will be affected, those who actually receive more income,” Mishustin emphasized.
By introducing a progressive scale, the Russian authorities took a rather soft, one might say, humane path. And it's not just about the cutoff threshold. The maximum personal income tax rate in the government bill does not exceed 22% — this is lower than in many European countries, as well as in the BRICS states, with which Russia is traditionally compared. (For comparison: in India it is 30%, and in China it reaches 45%.) The minimum rate remained at 13% — it will apply to income up to 2.4 million rubles. The next gradation is from 2.4 to 5 million, here a rate of 15% is applied. But not from the entire income, but only from that part that exceeds the first threshold. In other words, if a person earns 3 million rubles. per year, then he will pay 15% only with 0.6 million. For income from 20 to 50 million rubles. Personal income tax will be 20%, the maximum rate is introduced for earnings of more than 50 million rubles. But again, the final tax amount will be calculated according to a complex scheme.
According to the head of the Ministry of Finance Anton Siluanov, people whose annual income exceeds 50 million rubles are proposed to be deprived of benefits for paying personal income tax when selling securities held for more than 5 years. They will be subject to income tax at rates of up to 15%, while Russians with lower incomes will still pay nothing in this situation. Apparently, this is how the government responded to critics who pointed out that rich people do not live on salaries, but on rental income. (Previously this item was absent from the proposals.)
At the same time, increased taxation is introduced for all Russians when selling property worth more than 2.4 million rubles. In this case, the income tax will be not 13%, but 15%. Siluanov also spoke about the right of regions and municipalities to set higher property tax rates on expensive real estate and land plots (worth over 300 million).
Unlike other countries, where, along with a progressive scale, there is a minimum tax-free minimum (for example, in Germany it is 11.6 thousand euros, in the USA — $14 thousand, in China — 5 thousand yuan), the Russian authorities such an innovation was not accepted. Personal income tax at a rate of 13% will be levied on any income, but the priority category — low-income families with two or more children — is promised to compensate part of the taxes paid through benefits. “So that the effective rate is 6%. That is, out of 13%, more than half will be returned to such families,” explained the head of the Ministry of Finance.
Siluanov reassured the regions that the state will bear the costs of this “cashback”: resources will be found in the federal budget.
For all families with children, and not just low-income ones, the authorities will increase tax deductions — up to 2.8 thousand rubles. for the second child and up to 6 thousand rubles. on the third. However, it will be possible to receive them only until the total income from the beginning of the year exceeds 450 thousand rubles. For those with an average salary (73.7 thousand rubles), the benefit will no longer be provided in about six months. Siluanov also announced the introduction of new categories of deductions for Russians involved in sports and taking care of their health. Those who pass the GTO standards and undergo an annual medical examination will be able to return 6 thousand rubles. per year.
The government expects to collect most of the additional tax revenue (more than 2 trillion out of 2.6 trillion) from business. The Ministry of Finance proposes to abandon turnover fees (such as exchange rate export duties) and instead increase the income tax from 20% to 25%. According to Siluanov, this rate is better in line with global practice. Separately, it is planned to increase rent taxes on the production of fertilizers and iron ore mining. As Siluanov reported, businesses in these areas now pay less than in other industries. Therefore, this measure also seems fair. “At the same time, even with an increase in the mineral extraction tax, profitability will remain high — more than 20%,” the minister reassured.