The authorities plan to reduce hidden business payments
The government is discussing the possibility of reducing the non-tax burden on businesses. This refers to various fees, duties, and contributions that companies are required to pay in addition to taxes. The largest financial burden is created by the utilization and environmental fees.
What are they proposing to change?
According to the draft National Competition Development Plan, the authorities intend to conduct an inventory of non-tax payments and create a single registry. This is expected to increase the transparency and predictability of fiscal policy.
The main proposed measures are:
* Creation of a registry of non-tax payments – so businesses clearly understand what obligations are placed on them.
* Reduction of excessive fees – especially in industries with a high fiscal burden.
The initiative is still at the stage of interdepartmental coordination, so the final list of measures may change.
Why is this important for businesses?
Non-tax payments increase the cost of production, especially in extractive and manufacturing industries. For example:
* The utilization fee – one of the largest, estimated at 1.5 trillion rubles in 2025.
* The environmental fee – paid by producers and importers of goods requiring disposal (about 19 billion rubles per year).
* The advertising fee – recently introduced but already creating additional pressure (planned revenues – 6 billion rubles for the first 9 months of 2025).
These payments increase the prices of goods, reducing the competitiveness of companies. Small and medium-sized businesses, which often cannot pass the additional costs onto consumers, face particular difficulty.
Will there be a real reduction in the burden?
Previous attempts to systematize non-tax payments were unsuccessful. In the 2010s, a law was discussed that would have limited their introduction, but it was never passed.
Experts are skeptical that the new registry will automatically lead to the abolition of existing fees. However, it could:
* Prevent the uncontrolled introduction of new payments – if including them in the registry becomes a mandatory condition.
* Make the system more transparent – businesses will know in advance what obligations await them.
Reducing the non-tax burden is an important step in supporting businesses, especially in times of economic instability. If the authorities do begin to reduce excessive fees, it could lower production costs and improve the competitiveness of Russian companies. However, the initiative is still at an early stage, and its real effect will only become clear after detailed development.
