Taxman Squeezes 50+ Russian IT Firms for Double-Dipping After Losing Skolkovo Perks
When the state coffers are emptier than a local grocery store in winter, even the pampered tech elites of the motherland aren't safe. The government has found a hilarious new way to retroactively strip domestic tech companies of their tax-haven privileges.
The tax loophole drama centers on the transition between two separate tax-saving schemes. Under the rules of the Skolkovo Innovation Center, tech startups enjoy zero income tax and massive discounts on social contributions until they grow too big. The boundary is set at 1 billion rubles in revenue and 300 million rubles in profit, limits that successful firms inevitably breach.
Once a company crosses this threshold, its tax privileges vanish retroactively from the beginning of that calendar year. Seeking a soft landing, over fifty companies, according to tax consultant Igor Arakelov from White Square, immediately tried to claim the general IT industry tax rate, which also offered zero income tax until recently.
However, the Federal Tax Service decided that transitioning between different tax exemptions in the same year is illegal double-dipping. The taxmen are now demanding these companies pay the maximum standard corporate tax rate for the entire year they outgrew the startup haven.
This sudden change of heart by the tax authorities is highly correlated with the state's growing budget deficit, as noted by Galina Akchurina from Kept. The state's hunger for cash has also turned the spotlight onto financial institutions that artificially split their operations to park profits in dummy IT subsidiaries.
Even alternative transportation companies are getting caught in the crossfire. Investors have already petitioned authorities to audit the kicksharing service Whoosh, accusing the electric scooter rental firm of masquerading as a high-tech startup to enjoy Skolkovo benefits while operating a capital-heavy physical transport fleet.
The golden era of domestic tech outsourcing and state-sponsored tax evasion is meeting a cold, cash-strapped reality. Watching a government cannibalize its own favored tech sector to fund its geopolitical adventures is the ultimate popcorn-worthy spectacle, proving once again that in this jurisdiction, the state always wins the house's share.
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