A FBK partner at the 10th Tax Congress
Galina Akchurina, a FBK Legal partner and the head of Tax Litigation Practice, took part in the 10th Tax Congress.
The plenary session “Trends in tax legislation development and relations with Russian regulatory authorities” saw Galina Akchurina speaking on “Stability of tax legal arrangements as a prerequisite for business development in Russia” highlighting importance of sustainable development in tax area.
Improving competition and enhancing appeal of Russian jurisdiction for business were among mostly debated topics covered by the congress. According to Akchurina, this could be achieved through reducing uncertainty of requirements set forth by tax authorities and ensuring reasonable stability of tax rules and tax administration.
She went to add, “Stability means the government does not change rules retroactively and introduce new norms and regulation all of a sudden without leaving room to assimilate them. Efforts towards collecting more taxes to raise money for the state budget contradict long-term and sustainable development of the economy of this country, which is what business and government ultimately aim at.”
Many of the congress speakers believe that tax authorities and courts are to be provided more space to apply articles of the Tax Code which provide for the release of the taxpayer from its liabilities, if incorrect interpretation of tax regulations is prompted by earlier enforcement practice and position of the tax authorities themselves (Art. 109, 111of the Russian Tax Code). It is necessary to return to legal approaches developed by the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation which prescribe to determine tax liabilities of the taxpayer rather than charge additional taxes as part of tax inspections conducted by tax authorities.
The speakers also noted that ensuring appropriate tax inspection procedure and documented findings are essential to determine tax liabilities for business participants correctly. Current tendencies towards violating such procedures raise pressure on business, cause unlawful additional tax charges and suppress business initiatives.
The 10th Tax Congress convened a wide range of tax experts, including officials from the Russian Finance Ministry, Federal Tax Service, lawyers and advisers from local and international leading advisory firms, top management of large companies operating in Russia.
The plenary session “Trends in tax legislation development and relations with Russian regulatory authorities” saw Galina Akchurina speaking on “Stability of tax legal arrangements as a prerequisite for business development in Russia” highlighting importance of sustainable development in tax area.
Improving competition and enhancing appeal of Russian jurisdiction for business were among mostly debated topics covered by the congress. According to Akchurina, this could be achieved through reducing uncertainty of requirements set forth by tax authorities and ensuring reasonable stability of tax rules and tax administration.
She went to add, “Stability means the government does not change rules retroactively and introduce new norms and regulation all of a sudden without leaving room to assimilate them. Efforts towards collecting more taxes to raise money for the state budget contradict long-term and sustainable development of the economy of this country, which is what business and government ultimately aim at.”
Many of the congress speakers believe that tax authorities and courts are to be provided more space to apply articles of the Tax Code which provide for the release of the taxpayer from its liabilities, if incorrect interpretation of tax regulations is prompted by earlier enforcement practice and position of the tax authorities themselves (Art. 109, 111of the Russian Tax Code). It is necessary to return to legal approaches developed by the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation which prescribe to determine tax liabilities of the taxpayer rather than charge additional taxes as part of tax inspections conducted by tax authorities.
The speakers also noted that ensuring appropriate tax inspection procedure and documented findings are essential to determine tax liabilities for business participants correctly. Current tendencies towards violating such procedures raise pressure on business, cause unlawful additional tax charges and suppress business initiatives.
The 10th Tax Congress convened a wide range of tax experts, including officials from the Russian Finance Ministry, Federal Tax Service, lawyers and advisers from local and international leading advisory firms, top management of large companies operating in Russia.
