Head of FBK Legal Tax Litigation Practice, Galina Akchurina on tax for wealthy people
FBK Legal Partner and Head of Tax Litigation Practice, Galina Akchurina in her interview to the portal Private Banking&Wealth Management (PBWM.ru) commented upon the statement of the Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin who warned the wealthy Russians that indirect taxes may be increased. Galina Akchurina when reviewing certain proposals and prospective increasing taxes and duties noted that a number of them had gathered already quite a while ago: “Such measure as increasing of tobacco excise duty has already become imminent. Comparing with Europe our excise duties are really quite low and increasing them could have brought significant funds to the federal budget”. While imposition of other taxes, according to the lawyer can raise many questions. «Actually, such measures as introducing luxury tax and property tax are a popular topic for discussions before the elections, however the problem was how to understand who to consider wealthy. So, property tax may involve those Russians who are not rich, those who inherited their flat in the center of Moscow or Saint Petersburg. This is the point regarding which we should not be compared with the West, regarding which we shouldn’t act the way “if they have this tax we will also introduce it”. Peculiarities of our historical development should be considered, the way property of our citizens was formed”, Ms. Akchurina believes.
