Expert announced the scale of losses from “gray” Apple equipment: up to 15 billion hryvnias per year

As a result of "gray" schemes of import and sale of Apple equipment and other electronics, the budget of Ukraine loses from 10 to 15 billion hryvnias annually. This was reported in an exclusive comment to UNN by economic expert Oleh Getman. According to him, this practice has become systemic and covers a wide variety of smuggling routes and methods of supply.

Details

According to the expert, gray export schemes have become widespread. Violations of "gray" market players are not only systemic, but also cause significant financial losses to the state.

Volumes - we estimated the budget losses from these schemes - from 10 to 15 billion hryvnias per year. These are net losses with volumes of more than 50 to 100 billion hryvnias per year

Getman, who is involved as an expert in the work of the parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission on Economic Security, said that they assess retail chains every quarter and see violations. According to him, even among the largest networks, there are those whose tax burden is less than 1%, and employees are registered for the "minimum wage". 

According to him, in addition to large networks, there are hundreds, and possibly thousands, of small online stores in Ukraine that are not registered as business entities at all. The State Tax Service has already stepped up its work to check the main risky representatives. Currently, the State Tax Service revealed schemes of evading VAT payment for more than UAH 286 million in the "Yabko" and Yabluka networks. According to Getman, similar inspections await other networks. 

The expert noted that there are currently various schemes by which equipment enters Ukraine in circumvention of the law: through the "benefit of up to 150 euros" for postal parcels, transportation of goods by individuals for personal use, black smuggling through forests and fields, understating customs value or interrupted transit in collusion with customs officers, substitution of goods, sale through fictitious documents, "twisting" schemes or private entrepreneur networks. Further, the goods are sold through "fraud networks", black online stores, telegram channels, markets or small shops. As for cases of "black" online stores, where trade is conducted by individuals without any registration, responsibility passes to the police.

This is illegal trade, a fine of 17 thousand hryvnias. The same applies to sales in markets without registration of any business entities

The expert explained that the responsibility for combating "gray" imports and illegal sale of equipment in Ukraine lies with a number of state bodies, each of which must work in its own direction and prevent "gray" imports and illegal trade, or, like the Bureau of Economic Security, expose and stop large-scale financial fraud. 

Let us remind you

Earlier, UNN reported that small networks accidentally published a detailed description of their own schemes for gray export of Apple brand equipment and its analogues.  The schemes also cover "holes" in customs and loopholes in legislation that allow making money on consumers and evading taxes worth billions of hryvnias.  The scheme of supplying Apple equipment in circumvention of the law is as follows: goods are purchased through intermediaries in Southeast Asian countries, where Apple's production facilities are also located. This is mainly uncertified equipment - novelties just released on the market, or refurbished devices that have already been in use. This equipment is delivered to Ukraine by minibuses with forged customs declarations. The documents state that they are carrying cheap accessories, while in fact they are transporting expensive smartphones, laptops and other electronics. Presumably, the scheme works with the support of certain representatives of the customs authorities, who provide the so-called "green corridor", as seizures of such batches in the public space are extremely rare. Already in Ukraine, the equipment is sold through a network of stores, formally divided into numerous private entrepreneurs. This reduces the tax burden and minimizes legal liability in case of claims from regulatory authorities.