The State Tax Service discovered seven trading networks, which, using the “business fragmentation” scheme, evaded payment of value added tax for a total amount of 668.5 million hryvnias. About this reported Acting head of the DPSU Lesya Karnaukh.
“We are talking about 6 networks for the sale of household appliances and electronics, as well as one for the sale of women’s clothing and shoes. The activity of a legal entity was artificially distributed among dozens of sole proprietorships that work under a simplified taxation system.”, – said the head of the DPSU.
According to her, a total of 491 natural persons-entrepreneurs were identified who participated in the scheme, and their total income exceeded 4 billion hryvnias.
“Formally, everything was allegedly distributed between separate, apparently independent, entrepreneurs. However, the analytical studies conducted, as well as the actual tax audits, showed otherwise. The FOPs are connected to each other: they use the same IP addresses, have common registration locations, work in the same retail outlets, use the same trademark, and even have common employees.”, – explained Karnauch.
She added that the collected data on violations has already been transferred to the Bureau of Economic Security.
Currently, the state budget annually loses about 20 billion hryvnias due to the shadow market of electronics, which are imported under “gray” schemes and sold without paying taxes. Half of these losses are related to the illegal sale of equipment through bogus FOPs.
