The issue of underpaid tax payments by the gaming industry for 2022 remains unresolved; companies owe billions of hryvnias to the budget.
This was disclosed by Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Parliament Committee on Finance, Banking, Taxation, and Customs Policy, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, this year's expected tax payments from the gaming business to the budget are estimated to be around 7 billion UAH, with a similar amount also due for 2022. "The majority of operators are now operating transparently and paying taxes to the state budget, incomparable to last year. However, we need to increase this pressure and continuously monitor their activities for compliance with the law. Ensuring they pay what's owed for 2022 is crucial for me," he stated.
The committee chairman informed that some market players had ceased operations and would not pay their taxes. In such cases, law enforcement agencies should intervene.
Hetmantsev is pushing for amendments to the gaming business law. According to these changes, a taxpayer's tax debt would serve as an additional reason for cancelling their license, preventing a company from operating without settling their taxes.
According to the committee head, the Ukrainian Commission for Regulation of Gambling and Lotteries is not yet ready for full-fledged operations after a six-month quorum break. "It seems our committee was the most keen on restoring this quorum. We made legislative changes and publicly pushed for them to convene. Thus, discussing the full restoration of the Commission's operations is still premature. We will closely and carefully monitor its work, ensuring no mistakes are made," he noted.
Furthermore, Hetmantsev clarified that some questions about the continuation of operators linked to russia in the Ukrainian market needed further clarification. However, from September, tax audits will commence. "I believe there will be many intriguing findings regarding those businesses that have committed violations," he added.
Background. Earlier, Mind reported that the gaming business had paid 450 million UAH in taxes to the state budget in April.