Translated material
Protest with vengeance
The State Duma increased the base rates of transport tax due to the scandal
The parliamentary opposition, which at the end of October “voted with its feet” against violations during the regional elections, continues to attack government initiatives supported by United Russia with a united front. On Friday, all three minority factions - the LDPR, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and A Just Russia - tried to stop the adoption in the third reading of amendments to the Tax Code, allowing regional administrations to significantly increase the transport tax.More than 130 votes “against” in the current State Duma, for obvious reasons, could not play a decisive role, but the authorities were quickly reminded that protest in “non-parliamentary expressions” was possible - on Friday, actions of disobedience by motorists continued, who even tried to block the Moscow Ring Road.
The 313 United Russia members who voted “for” formally only doubled the basic rates of transport tax laid down in the Tax Code. But the current rates are set by regional authorities, and, as deputy Andrei Makarov assured during the discussion, not all subjects of the federation will raise taxes. However, they now have such an opportunity. If the amendments to the Tax Code are approved by the Federation Council and signed by the President, the basic transport tax rate for cars with a capacity of less than 100 hp. will be 10 rubles from 2010. for each horsepower, for cars with power from 100 to 150 hp. the rate will increase to 14 rubles, and for cars in the 100--200 hp category. -- up to 20 rub. for the "horse". For cars with power from 200 to 250 hp. The base rate will be 30 rubles. for one horsepower, and every “horse” under the hood of a car with a power of over 250 hp. federal legislators have already estimated it at 60 rubles. At the same time, regions are given the right, based on this rate, to set the tax at their own discretion, either increasing it up to five times, or reducing it up to ten times. Also, regional authorities will be able to introduce correction factors depending on the year of manufacture of the car and its environmental class.
According to government calculations, doubling the base rate of transport tax will provide 30 billion rubles next year. additional income. However, not everyone agrees with such calculations. In particular, the Duma communists said that in reality the budgets will not receive this money, but increased social tension in connection with the adoption of another unpopular law is guaranteed. “No one will ever receive 30 billion at the beginning of 2010 or even at the end of it, because individuals will submit the transport tax only at the end of the year,” emphasized Nina Ostanina, a deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, speaking from the Duma rostrum.
The communists, who voted against the amendments to the Tax Code, were supported by their irreconcilable opponents from the Liberal Democratic Party. Vladimir Zhirinovsky even stated that his party intends to appeal to President Dmitry Medvedev with a request not to sign the ill-fated law. The head of the Liberal Democrats himself proposes to include the transport tax in the price of fuel, so that “those who drive” pay it.
The Just Russians also tried to stand up for the motorized electorate and referred to the promises contained in the President’s message to the Federal Assembly to reduce the tax burden whenever possible. “As a member of the State Duma Committee on Transport, I absolutely do not see any need to increase the tax,” said Alexander Burkov, a deputy from A Just Russia. -- Owners of cars with a power of 200 hp will have to pay a minimum of 90 thousand rubles. per year. In a crisis, only a few can do this.” While the president is talking about stimulating transport demand, the parliament, on the contrary, is trying to solve the problem of replenishing the federal budget through fiscal methods at the expense of the regions, Mr. Burkov noted. After the State Duma meeting, the leader of the Fair Russia party and speaker of the Federation Council, Sergei Mironov, expressed concern: in a situation where there are scissor tax rates, the regions will not waste time on trifles and will go for the maximum increase in rates allowed to them - i.e. will increase the tax fivefold.
As the organizers of protest actions by motorists - the leaders of the Federation of Car Owners of Russia (FAR) - fear, Moscow may also be among the pioneers in terms of tax increases. However, the capital's legislators responsible for this issue, members of the budget and financial commission of the Moscow City Duma, say (at least for now) that there are no plans to increase the tax starting next year. The capital has not exhausted the possibilities of the current base rate, parliamentarians explain. Indeed, the revenue side of the Moscow budget for 2010 is planned to be increased by 2 billion rubles. transport tax, the head of the budget and financial commission of the Moscow City Duma, Igor Antonov, told reporters. However, as the commission explains, this money will be received by increasing the transport tax rate this year - the fact is that the payment period ends on July 1, 2010. When drawing up the budget, the calculation was made that the bulk of taxpayers would pay tax for their cars in the first two quarters of next year.
As you know, the Governor of St. Petersburg Valentina Matvienko also announced the decision not to increase the transport tax in 2010. Communist deputy Nina Ostanina cited this decision of the St. Petersburg authorities as an example of the fact that regional leaders are afraid of citizen protests - given both the mass protests against the construction of the Okhta Center and the actions of motorists.
The Federation of Car Owners of Russia, which a week ago celebrated the Duma’s adoption of the amendments in the first reading with an unauthorized motor rally along the Moscow Garden Ring (see Vremya Novostey, November 9) , responded promptly this time too. The leaders of the FAR called on their activists and sympathetic drivers to respond to the Duma initiative with a “horn of anger” - on Friday at 10.00 Moscow time, protesting drivers pressed the horns of their cars. Members of the Interregional Trade Union of Professional Drivers acted much more radically - they tried to block the Moscow Ring Road. According to trade union activist Alexander Kotov, five trucks and five cars blocked the capital's ring highway in the area of the 19th kilometer for ten minutes. This information was confirmed by the Moscow City Internal Affairs Directorate, saying that two cars were detained by traffic police officers.
If the law increasing the transport tax comes into force, then, as Mr. Kotov promised, the drivers’ union (which unites at least 10 thousand representatives of this profession, mainly truckers) will “organize strikes on the transport routes of the largest Russian cities.” “The authorities do not listen to car owners, despite our appeals to State Duma deputies, the government and the president,” states FAR leader Sergei Kanaev. According to him, motorists are preparing to challenge the amendments to the Tax Code in the highest courts, because, according to the FAR, they contradict the Constitution. Each tax must have an economic justification, Mr. Kanaev emphasizes. Transport tax is a property tax, and measuring property in horsepower is the same as measuring the length of a road in kilograms, notes the head of the FAR.