The Main Departments of the State Tax Service in Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi regions, together with the Kamianets-Podilskyi, Khotyn, Kitaygorod and Staroushytskyi communities, signed a Memorandum of Partnership and Cooperation on the Administration of the Tourist Tax.
The event was also attended by the Acting Head of the State Tax Service Lesya Karnaukh, Head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Military Administration Serhiy Tyurin, First Deputy Head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration Vitaly Bondar, and People’s Deputy Ihor Marchuk.
This is another step towards a mature model of cooperation between the State Tax Service and local governments.
In the context of decentralization, such cooperation becomes particularly important, as it corresponds to the approaches laid down in the National Revenue Strategy until 2030. They provide for a gradual expansion of the role of local governments in tax administration.
“The State Tax Service supports the expansion of community participation in the tax administration process. But we advocate a balanced, phased approach. Because tax administration is not only about functions. It is about processes, information systems, access to data, and responsibility for the result,” noted Lesya Karnaukh.
According to her, Khmelnytskyi and Bukovina will be the first to gain practical experience in implementing new mechanisms. Joint work between tax authorities and communities should turn the tourism potential of regions into real economic results, strengthening the financial capacity of territories and increasing their investment attractiveness.
Within the framework of cooperation, over the next 6 months, the parties will regularly exchange information, conduct joint analytical work and identify potential risks of underpayment of revenues to the budget.
The relevance of such changes is obvious. Today, the tourist tax is not received in full: according to various estimates, up to 20-30% of the temporary accommodation market is in the shadows. This means that services are provided, but taxes are not paid. Communities have potential, but do not receive the resource.
Among the main reasons: a significant part of the rental is carried out through online platforms, the real number of tourists is often not reflected. Sometimes benefits are applied where they should not be.
“In essence, this will be joint work on identifying new payers and objects of taxation, involving them in official activities, monitoring the completeness of tax and fee payments,” the head of the State Tax Service emphasized.
Special attention will be paid to methodological support for communities, as well as explanatory work among payers.
“I am convinced that only through open interaction and dialogue can we build a system that works not formally, but effectively,” emphasized Lesya Karnaukh. (State Tax Service)