The State Duma passed a bill on increasing the value-added tax in the second reading by a majority vote. Now the VAT is 18%. In the new document - 20%. Of the 401 deputies for a 2% increase in the tax burden, 68.4% voted, against - only 20.4%. The final decision will be taken on July 24 in the third reading. The fact that the country has come close to changing the VAT rate since next year has been started in the government in the middle of June. At the same time, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev started a speech about two reforms:.

tax and pension. At the beginning of the month the bill, which provides for the growth of the base rate, passed the first reading. It stipulates that producers will not be able to restore the VAT accepted for deduction for goods or services that they received from subsidies. This refers to the costs of this year on warranty obligations, mainly we are talking about agricultural machinery. On an ongoing basis, it is proposed to establish tariffs for compulsory pension insurance contributions. 22% - within the established limit value and 10% - more than it. Proceeding from the amendments to the second reading, the initiative assumes that until 2025 the zero VAT rate will be extended for flights to Crimea, Kaliningrad and back, as well as in the Far East - provided that the point of departure and destination does not go beyond the boundaries of the district. This was announced by the head of the Duma committee on budget and taxes Andrei Makarov. His colleague Valery Gartung pointed out another amendment.

We are talking about the abolition of VAT refund to raw materials exporters. "This will give an opportunity to return to the budget of about 1.8 trillion rubles," the parliamentarian noted during the meeting, noting that oil companies were exempt from export duties.

The profit from the sale of raw materials abroad is colossal. With this money, you can also replenish the budget, the legislator stressed.. Makarov stood up for oil workers, recalling the contribution of the industry to the Russian economy, in particular to the state treasury. And the recommendations of Hartung, the parliamentarian decided, have nothing to do with the concept of the reform under consideration.

This change the lower house of parliament eventually rejected.