The State Duma of Russia has approved an increase in VAT from 20% to 22% starting in 2026. Taxes will be raised with the assistance of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. Thus, residents will pay for the war of the Russian leader in Ukraine.
The deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation have adopted in the third and final reading the law on changes to the tax legislation, which includes an increase in the value-added tax (VAT) from 20% to 22%.
The tax rate for socially significant goods remains at 10%. For final approval, the document must still be adopted by the Federation Council, after which it will be sent for signing to the country's president, Vladimir Putin - who will gladly sign the law.
Another important innovation is the phased reduction of the revenue threshold for small businesses, which exempts them from paying VAT. Starting in 2026, it will drop from 60 million rubles per year to 20 million, and in the following two years - to 15 million and 10 million rubles, respectively.
In the first version of the amendments proposed by the Ministry of Finance, the threshold was reduced sixfold - to 10 million rubles, but then the agency agreed to slightly ease the requirements.
At the same time, the IT sector managed to maintain VAT benefits. Otherwise, software developers pointed out, the overall volume of collections would fall, many companies would go bankrupt, and a significant number of specialists would leave the country in search of work.
Earlier, on November 20, the State Duma finally approved the law on the federal budget for 2026 and the planned period of 2027-2028. It specifically provides that even with the tax increases, the deficit in the next three years will not fall below three trillion rubles, although it should not rise above four trillion.
