News date: 3 March 2020
On 28 February 2020, Nina Bets, the tax lawyer at Ilyashev & Partners Law Firm, delivered a speech at the official presentation of results of Small Business Attitudes Index, a survey conducted by the European Business Association.
The survey results demonstrate that it is the taxation that the most respondents would like to change.
According to Nina Bets, such indicators are caused by the instability and complexity of the tax legislation, the fiscal approach used by the tax authorities, and the complex system of VAT administration. “The implementation of international standards triggers constant changes in the legal framework, which are difficult for the businesses to track and control, – Nina Bets emphasized. – Far too often the entrepreneurs learn about innovations from the tax assessment notices about accrual of additional tax and penalties. At the same time, disputes with tax authorities are rarely resolved in favor of taxpayers. New criteria for classification of risky businesses allow for a very broad interpretation by fiscal authorities, which often leads to complete freezing of business transactions”.
Small Business Attitudes Index is a survey conducted since 2018 within the Unlimit Ukraine project. The purpose of the study is to identify obstacles and incentives for the small and microbusiness development in Ukraine. The survey was conducted from 29 October to 18 December 2019. It was joined by 632 small business owners and directors.
Established in 1999, the European Business Association (EBA), consisting of 1100 members, is one of the largest and most influential unions of businesses operating in the Ukrainian market.