Putin Approves Temporary Tax Relief for Importers

23:57; 20 April 2026 year

### Putin Approves Pilot VAT Deferment Scheme for Russian Importers Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree aimed at strengthening the resilience of the national economy. The document introduces a pilot mechanism that allows certain importers to temporarily defer payment of value-added tax (VAT) when bringing goods into the country. The experiment will run until June 30, 2027. Under this scheme, companies will be able to delay their VAT payments for up to three months without accruing interest. This measure is intended to alleviate the financial burden on businesses and support foreign economic activity. Not all market participants will be eligible to participate. The decree sets out selection criteria: companies included in the register of authorized economic operators and those classified as systemically important will be able to take advantage of the deferment. The outcomes of the initiative will be assessed at the end of the experiment. The Ministry of Finance and the Federal Customs Service are required to submit a report evaluating the results by August 30, 2027.

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