Businesses in the border region, which recovered from the Russian attack on their own, refused to relocate and kept their jobs, paid taxes and continuously helped the Armed Forces, are on the verge of shutting down due to the actions of the State Tax Service in Chernihiv region, UNN reports.
Since the second half of 2023, Chernihiv region has been rapidly becoming a leader in the number of blocked tax invoices. At the same time, according to the results of 9 months of 2023, the positive balance of VAT payment in Chernihiv region is more than UAH 350 million. A characteristic feature of blocking is far-fetched formal reasons that do not comply with the established norms.
Representatives of enterprises from various industries, with the support of the Chernihiv Regional Business Association, appealed to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Financial Committee of ther, the State Tax Service of Ukraine and reported pressure on business from the new leadership in the person of Acting Head of the Main Department of the State Tax Service in Chernihiv Oblast Yuriy Tverdokhlib.
Kostyantyn Ivanov, President of the Chernihiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
During the occupation of Chernihiv region, 530 enterprises were destroyed. Today, according to a survey of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, 95% do not plan to relocate and are restoring production at their own expense. But, obviously, the new management of the regional State Tax Service is deliberately harming the financial condition of enterprises in our region by leaching working capital
Andriy Kostyrko, Head of Eco Soya Product LLC:
"Our company is an animal feed producer and exporter. The tax office does not accept our producer table, so the company is on the risky list. The explanation reads: "The prices for the company's products depend on the fatness, age and type of animals...". Today, 57 cases are pending in court, 30 of which have passed the second instance, but there is no response. In order to continue our activities, we are forced to open a new enterprise in another region of Ukraine."
Valeriy Kulich, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Forsazh LLC:
When working capital is withdrawn from an enterprise for no reason, for far-fetched reasons, and there is an incentive to solve the problem through some unclear negotiations, then we are talking about corruption risks! We will definitely not work like that
Volodymyr Kozyr, head of the Chernihiv Regional Association of Employers' Organizations:
On December 17, 2023, the decision of the Public Council at the SFS of Chernihiv Oblast declared the work of the acting head of the Chernihiv State Tax Service unsatisfactory. We are preparing an appeal to have law enforcement agencies check Yuriy Tverdokhlib's performance. We hope that the tax officer will be held accountable for putting pressure on entrepreneurs and for the deterioration of the business climate in Chernihiv region
Ukraine needs a tax reform with the legislative introduction into the Tax Code of administrative violations of the legal norm and personal liability for unlawful procedures in relation to taxpayers.
Today, the economy has to move from the old model of tax administration loaded with the "human factor" to a real system of "wartime economy". The war of economies in our fight against the enemy requires a simplified tax administration system with the largest possible share of digital technologies.
Video of the press conference