The Business Ombudsman Council provides recommendations to state bodies on the basis of individual cases and in accordance with published systemic reports. Here we have collected information on the implementation status of systemic recommendations only.
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Report name
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Issued recommendations
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Execution status
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Systemic report "Problems with administering business taxes in Ukraine" |
To eliminate the requirement of depositing the balance of VAT accounts with operational cash from the Tax Code due to its’ non-compliance with the best international practices and harmful effect for the day-today activities of the taxpayers. Thus, VAT electronic administration shall cease to be employed as a tool for replenishing state budget through cash advances and start performing its core administrative function. State Tax Service of Ukraine |
Recommendation is no longer relevant
— comments:
Respective amendments were proposed by the BOC during the discussion of amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine in December 2015. However, the proposals were not approved by the Ministry of Finance.
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To ensure proper technical functioning and maintenance of the VAT electronic administration system. Manual control and unauthorized intrusion into the system, resulting, inter alia, in a questionable "losses" of VAT invoices, refusals to register VAT invoices due to "state 9", etc., shall be eliminated. Same approach shall be employed in relation to those instances, when the records in the VAT return and the VAT administration system do not reconcile. This can be achieved, inter alia, by introducing personal disciplinary, administrative and financial liability of the officials of the tax authorities. In addition, the Tax Code shall be amended to provide for financial liability of third-party entities providing technical maintenance and support of the electronic administration system (for instance, sanctions shall be imposed if the taxpayer is unable to register VAT returns due to inaccessibility of the system or its' failure).
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
Implementation of the Law No.1797 dated 21 December 2016 "On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine to Improve the Investment Climate in Ukraine" is still in process of its' eventual implementation. It is aimed at simplifying tax administration and is an important part of the reform of the SFS. This is a joint work of the VR deputies, experts and business representatives dating back to the last year.
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To ensure that the local tax authorities are trained and prepared to effectively support the taxpayers with all kinds of issues arising in connection with the implementation of VAT electronic administration. Besides, the State Fiscal Service shall promptly collect information about typical problems arising in connection with the VAT electronic administration followed by the practice of issuing formal clarifications. State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
This recommendation has been discussed many times during the meetings between the BOC and the SFS. Although, the SFS provides taxpayers with explanations of the most typical problems, the territorial tax authorities are usually not ready to effectively support taxpayers for all types of issues arising from the functioning of the electronic system of VAT administration.
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To ensure stability of respective laws and regulations, once the deficiencies in the VAT electronic administration functioning are eliminated, so that they will remain unchanged (or significantly unchanged) for a significant time. If the sense of predictability is achieved, it would enable the taxpayers to plan their activities accordingly and significantly decrease administrative expenses covering the cost of adjustment to the new rules and regulations. Ministry of Finance |
Implemented
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To implement a transparent, informative and user-friendly interface of the electronic record system aimed at providing taxpayers with the information on the status of their VAT accounts. This could be implemented via a single electronic office of the taxpayer. Such electronic office shall provide comprehensive information to the taxpayer, so that the taxpayer could reconcile the information in the electronic administration system with the records of the VAT reports. It shall be ensured that the records made in the system cannot be changed manually. Besides, it shall also not only indicate the threshold amount calculated according to the prescribed formula, but also clearly itemize the algorithm of formation of the computed elements of the formula.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
Implemented
— comments:
In 2017, the SFS and the State Treasury of Ukraine implemented the transparent, informative and user-friendly interface of the electronic record system aimed at providing taxpayers with the information on the status of their VAT accounts. Such electronic office provides comprehensive information to the taxpayer, so that the taxpayer is now enabled, albeit not to the full extent, to reconcile the information in the electronic administration system with the records of the VAT reports.
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To make enforceable in practice, the mechanism to return the excessive balance on the taxpayer's VAT account. In particular, there shall be no delays in communication between the tax authorities and the State Treasury regarding return of such excessive balance upon the taxpayer's request. This can be achieved, inter alia, by introducing personal disciplinary, administrative and financial liability of the officials of the tax authorities (for instance, in case of their failure to timely provide the State Treasury departments with the necessary information).
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
Implemented
— comments:
See the Law No.1797 dated 21 December 2016 "On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine to Improve the Investment Climate in Ukraine".
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The Tax Code shall provide for an effective procedure of administrative appeal (please see Section "Administrative appeal" for details) whereby the supervising tax authorities will monitor compliance by the lower-level tax authorities with all VAT refund procedures.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
On October 21, 2015, the Ministry of Finance has issued the Order No.916 "On approval of the procedure for registration and filing of complaints by taxpayers and their review by the controlling bodies".In particular, in accordance with the Order No.916, the review of the complaint materials in a closed meeting takes place with the participation of the authorized representative of the BOC; the BOC has the opportunity to file its own objections.However, the administrative appeal procedure needs further improvement.
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To amend the Resolution of the CMU No.39 dated 17 January 2011, as well as Joint Order of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine and the State Treasury of Ukraine No.68/23 dated 3 February 2011, to clearly state that the state treasury departments shall promptly pay to the taxpayer the VAT refund confirmed by a valid court ruling and with no further confirmation from the tax authorities. State Tax Service of Ukraine |
Implemented
— comments:
The Law No. 1797 of 21.12.2016 provides for the introduction of an automatic VAT refund register. This is a new transparent approach to VAT refunds. However, for the purpose of the corresponding payment, it is necessary that the tax authorities in the field make relevant information about the court decision "in force" to the Tax Bloc.
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To amend the Tax Code to set out a clear procedure for calculation and payment of penalties imposed for late VAT refund. It shall be clearly stated in the Tax Code that the amount of penalty shall be paid to the taxpayer irrespective of the fact of its' receipt of reconciled VAT refund.
Ministry of Finance |
Recommendation is no longer relevant
— comments:
The relevant amendments were proposed by the BOC during the discussion of amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine in October-December 2016. However, the proposals were not approved by the working group at the Ministry of Finance.
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To amend the Tax Code to provide for personal disciplinary, administrative and financial liability of the officials of the tax authorities for unlawful delays with processing VAT refunds.
Ministry of Finance |
In process
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The State Budget of Ukraine shall reflect consolidated VAT amount (i.e., the difference between the income from VAT and expenses for VAT refund). For this purpose the Budget Code of Ukraine shall be respectively amended. In our view, if implemented, such an approach would allow overthrowing traditional argumentation of the tax authorities that VAT refund is effectively limited by the limits foreseen in the State Budget. Ministry of Finance |
Implemented
— comments:
In the state budget, starting from 2016, planned VAT receipts from goods (works, services) produced in Ukraine are reflected as a balance between tax collection and reimbursement. The same principle is envisaged in the approved budget for 2019.
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It could be expedient to officially recognize the VAT refund amounts due to businesses as internal state debt. Such state debt shall be subject to restructuring according to mechanisms amicably agreed in negotiations between the tax authorities and businesses. The selection of the mechanisms should be flexible enough to allow restructuring with the account of specifics of particular case and business. Ministry of Finance |
Recommendation is no longer relevant
— comments:
The launch of the automated registry of VAT refund is foreseen by the Law No.1797 dated 21 December 2016.On 17 January 2018, the CMU adopted a draft law governing VAT refund to tax payers that filed their refund applications prior to 1 February 2016, though failed to be refunded from the state budget.Additionally, the draft law governs the issue of the VAT refund claimed for recovery before February 1, 2016, but denied by the SFS as of 1 January 2017 (the taxpayers were not entitled for budget refund) and in respect of which the court decision to grant budgetary refund to the tax payer has become effective.Thus, the draft law will ensure fair conditions for the tax payers during the period of referring to the provisions of the Tax Code on the matters of VAT refund from the state budget according to applications registered within the Temporary Registry and on applications in terms of which the administrative and court proceedings have been completed.
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To revise the Procedure of Taxpayers’ Record Keeping to significantly narrow down the scope of discretionary power currently vested with the tax authorities. In particular, the following amendments are worth being considered:
the grounds for launching verification of the tax payers’ location by the tax authorities shall be limited to include only limited and specific number of instances to be directly envisaged in the legislation (for instance, during a tax audit of a taxpayer deemed to be in violation of its duties);
if the information on the taxpayer’s location is properly confirmed through the State Registrar, this should be regarded as the sufficient proof for tax authorities; moreover, in this case tax authorities shall not be entitled to carry out such verification for certain reasonable period of time (for instance, one year).
Ministry of Finance |
Implemented
— comments:
Commencing March 2016, the fiscal authorities are no longer entitled to issue the form 18-OPP (notice on the absence of legal entity at its location).Respective provisions have been excluded from the Procedure for Taxpayer Registration pursuant to the Order of the Ministry of Finance No.375 dated 18 March 2016.
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To ensure proper and effective control over regulatory practices employed by the local tax authorities, especially when they did not comply with the procedures, envisaged by the Procedure of Taxpayers' Record Keeping. Strict compliance therewith shall be ensured through personal liability of the officials of the tax authorities for malpractice.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
Local control agencies are vested with servicing functions only; whereas the control is transferred to the MD SFS.The procedure for holding liable remains difficult to apply, enabling the officials to evade disciplinary liability.
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To perform tax audit procedures in strict compliance with the established "audit tests" (i.e., clear guidance on "what and how" shall be audited). Such tests are expected to be developed as part of the deregulation process currently implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine. The practice of guidance by internal regulations issued by the State Fiscal Service which are not available to public shall be eliminated.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
Not started
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To apply and interpret tax laws and regulations with the due regard being given to common court practice shall be communicated by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine to the tax authorities of all levels. The practice when, despite existence of similar cases (or even regarding the same taxpayer) the tax authorities continue embarking upon questionable argumentation which have been routinely assessed by courts in the taxpayer's favour, shall be eliminated.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
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The administrative appeal procedures available to the taxpayers willing to challenge the results of the tax audits shall be effective and time-efficient, rather than formalistic as it often appears to be (please see Section "Administrative appeal" for details). While appointing and performing the tax audit, the tax authorities shall strictly comply with the procedures prescribed by the law, and the supervising authorities shall ensure such compliance in an effective manner. The Tax Code shall be amended to specify particular sanctions to be imposed on the officials of the tax authorities for procedural and other violations during appointment and performance of the tax audit. Such sanctions shall be personalized and variable (from reprimand to dismissal and fine) depending on the degree of violation by the particular official.
Ministry of Finance |
In process
— comments:
Although this recommendation has been discussed repeatedly, the extent of its' practical implementation remains quite limited.
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Instances of abuse of power by the tax authorities in launching criminal proceeding based on the results of the tax audit or against the taxpayer's officials shall be eliminated. Prevention of fraud and malpractice in the course of launching and performing of tax criminal investigations could be guaranteed by "checks and balances" system and personalized liability of the tax authorities' officials. The BOC will address these issues in its systemic report for the forth quarter of 2015 on abuses of criminal procedural law by law-enforcement agencies. State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
In 2016, the Methodological Recommendations were amended respectively. The number of criminal proceedings has generally decreased. Only in rare cases the criminal proceedings are initiated before the administrative appeal procedure completed.
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To forbid the tax authorities to initiate criminal proceedings against the taxpayer's officials based on the results of the tax audit until the taxpayer's tax obligation is duly acknowledged (i.e., until the administrative appeal and / or consideration in a court are finished). If the results of the tax audit are successfully challenged by the taxpayer in court, the criminal proceedings initiated merely based on results thereof, shall be immediately ceased. Ministry of Finance |
In process
— comments:
Article 56.22. of the Tax Code of Ukraine provides as follows: "If a taxpayer challenges a decision of a control authority to the court or through the appropriate administrative procedure, such taxpayer cannot be accused of tax evasion exclusively on the ground of such decision of the control authority until the proceedings have been ultimately settled by the court or through the appropriate administrative procedure."
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To reflect in the Tax Code and enforce in practice the approach evidenced by a widespread judicial practice, whereby minor mistakes or deficiencies in primary documents cannot be used as a ground for charging additional tax liabilities, penalties and fines on the taxpayer. Ministry of Finance |
In process
— comments:
The Supreme Court in its decisions specifies that the facts of the occurrence of errors in executed primary documents or the absence of individual ones, shall not, as such, constitute the ground for the conclusions on the absence of the actual business transaction, - provided that the other data or evidence prove otherwise. The implementation of this recommendation requires preparation of a special explanation of the SFS with concrete examples of such errors.
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To implement a systemic risk-based approach to conducting unscheduled tax audits. Such approach shall ensure comprehensive evaluation of the particular taxpayer and the necessity of subjecting its activities to unscheduled tax audit to the contrary of the current approach whereby the tax authorities are empowered to launch unscheduled tax audit even if a single (and often casual) criterion pops out.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
Pursuant to Article 78 of the Tax Code of Ukraine the unscheduled documentary tax audit shall be appointed if at least one of the grounds specified in the article is applicable.There is a positive dynamics, however, – the number of unscheduled tax audits somewhat reduced. At the same time, it appears that the risk-oriented system is virtually never employed in practice.At present, the issue of including the taxpayers to the plan of audits became rather significant. According to the Tax Code, the plan shall be issued for the entire year. However, since February 2018, the SFS began to make massive changes to the plan of audits in violation of direct provision of the Tax Code.
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To disclose to the general public statistics on the administrative appeal procedure on a regular basis (for instance, on a quarterly basis). Such information shall include, inter alia, information regarding the total number of complaints, the results (positive and negative) of administrative consideration of complaints at each appeal level, etc.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
The statistics is disclosed to public on the SFS web-site, but its form and information content shall be improved.
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To guarantee the transparency and objectivity of the administrative appeal procedure by mandatory involvement of experts to be engaged in consideration of the taxpayers' complaints. Such experts shall be independent from the State Fiscal Service and the Ministry of Finance. Involvement of experts shall be mandatory irrespective of the amount of additional tax liabilities charged and fines and penalties imposed. State Tax Service of Ukraine |
Implemented
— comments:
On 21 October 2015, the Order No.916 "On approval of the procedure for registration and filing of complaints by taxpayers and their review by the controlling bodies" was adopted.In particular, according to the Order No.916, the consideration of the complaint materials may take place with the participation of the BOC’s and Minfin's authorized representatives; the BOC is entitled to submit its own objections. Yet, the administrative appeal procedure needs further improvement.
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To increase the timing for administrative appeal by the taxpayer, while the timing available to the tax authority for providing feedback to the appeal shall be decreased. This timing could be fixed at traditional 30 calendar days for both parties. Ministry of Finance |
Recommendation is no longer relevant
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To amend the Tax Code to foresee personal administrative and financial liability of the officials of the tax authorities for instances of malpractice and nonprofessional behaviour. Ministry of Finance |
In process
— comments:
The respective amendments to the legislation are being approved by the Ministry of Finance together with the relevant regulatory authorities.
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To ensure that the principle of interpreting ambiguous provisions of the Tax Code in favour of the taxpayer shall be consistently complied with by the tax authorities at all levels. An effective "checks and balances" system and introduction of personalized liability for the malpractice committed by the officials of the tax authorities shall be used as tools to achieve this.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
The BOC and the SFS discussed this recommendation during the number of meetings. However, its’ practical application is still very limited. Both the SFS and the local tax authorities apply, as a rule, fiscal approach to the interpretation of the provisions of the Tax Code.Therefore, in practice this principle almost never applies. The exception is the established position of the Supreme Court or the official position of the Ministry of Finance.
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To forbid the tax authorities to found their conclusions (formalized in the act of the tax audit) on internal biased information, which is not available to the taxpayer and the public. Further, the tax authorities cannot be motivated by informal internal instructions regarding the fines and penalties to be collected from the taxpayers.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
The BOC and the SFS discussed this recommendation during the number of meetings. However, its' practical application is still very limited.
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The decisions of the tax authorities to appeal in the court of law shall be subject to "second-eye review" (for instance, by the supervising tax authority) from the perspective of expediency and legal feasibility. Such approach appears to be timely given the recent changes in the procedural law whereby the court fee relief enjoyed earlier by the tax authorities was further discontinued.
State Tax Service of Ukraine |
In process
— comments:
The BOC and the SFS discussed this recommendation during the number of meetings. However, its' practical application is still very limited due to a large number of current disputes (around 100,000). At the same time since the 2016, all appeals to the Supreme Court are subject to the SFS's prior approval.
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