Hetmantsev: “Yabko” themselves admit that they work in the shadows — this is essentially a gangster business

A part of the electronics market in Ukraine operates according to schemes that can be called not just shadow schemes, but essentially "bandit business". In particular, the company "Yabko" openly stated that they operate "in the shadows", breaking up into sole proprietorships. This was stated by the head of the Verkhovna Rada committee on finance, tax and customs policy Danilo Hetmantsev, writes UNN.

According to him, the tax committee has long been interested in fighting the "shadow" in the electronics market.

In the fall, there was a very interesting meeting of our committee, which was attended by a group of electronics sellers – "Yabko" and another seller. So they explained to us in all seriousness that they work "in the shadows" because they need a "road map" to get out of this "shadow". Because they cannot do it themselves, and the Tax Code is not enough for them. It was an epic speech. They admitted that they work, breaking up into sole proprietorships, because "we are not like that – life is like that

According to the head of the tax committee, smugglers who are completely in the "shadow", who do not have any documents for the goods, but only sole proprietorships, and at the same time have beautiful stores open in the best locations in the cities, are essentially a bandit business. Hetmantsev emphasized that this is a direct violation of the law - a crime under at least Article 212 of the Criminal Code regarding tax evasion. 

"Indeed, a lot of contraband goods are sold via the Internet – both electronics and other goods. It's just that representatives of the same "Yabka" were with us on the committee, and I don't have any specific evidence about others and I can't even claim that they are selling contraband goods," the MP stressed.

He reminded that the Bureau of Economic Security had already conducted searches in "Yabko" and emphasized that systematic work to bring such networks out of the shadows should continue.

"And here, by the way, there are many questions for the BEB: they started searches in the same "Yabka" in September last year and there are already criminal cases, but we have not heard anything about verdicts, let alone suspicions. At the same time, it became known that, based on the results of the pre-trial investigation, the BEB has already sent three criminal proceedings to court," Hetmantsev said.

Let us remind you

About a month ago, the State Tax Service of Ukraine discovered schemes of VAT evasion for more than UAH 286 million in the "Yabko" and Yabluka networks. The head of the department, Ruslan Kravchenko, said that during the inspections, tax officials found massive facts of trade without the use of RRO/PRRO and the absence of documents on the origin of the equipment. At the same time, the State Tax Service also transferred to law enforcement officers the facts of artificial division of sales by the above-mentioned networks: legal entities involved up to 300 related sole proprietorships on a simplified system. Tax officials identified 170 entrepreneurs involved in these manipulations. Their total income is UAH 1.72 billion.

In response to a request from UNN, the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine reported that law enforcement officers are investigating the facts of tax evasion and smuggling in the field of electronics trade. According to UNN sources, the investigative actions cover the facts of supplying equipment of well-known brands to the territory of Ukraine - we are talking about more than 30 criminal proceedings and suspicions of 7 people, part of the materials have already been submitted to the court. 

Add

According to the American Chamber of Commerce, losses to the state budget from the functioning of the shadow market of only certain smartphone models amount to UAH 5.5 billion. According to the Chamber's experts, one of the large sellers has more than 100 stores throughout Ukraine, which operate through a network of hundreds of fictitious sole proprietorships. 

The European Business Association and its Committee on Consumer Electronics insisted on the need to take immediate measures to combat the illegal import of household appliances and electronics in Ukraine.