The former general director of Kefir Production LLC was suspected of arrears

The Main Investigation Department (GID) of the Investigative Committee for Moscow opened a criminal case against Vladislav Severtsev, who until recently held the post of general director of Kefir Production LLC, a company that produces the popular show “Battle of Psychics” for the TNT channel. Mr. Severtsev is suspected of tax evasion of 46.5 million rubles. To evade taxes, according to investigators, Vladislav Severtsev entered into agreements with shell companies. They were paid for work allegedly performed for the preparation of television programs; the funds transferred for them were sent through intermediaries to Estonia, and Kefir Production LLC received various tax benefits.

“Kefir Production LLC evaded paying value added tax and corporate profit tax for a total amount of more than 46 million rubles,” reported the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee for Moscow. “Investigative authorities have opened a criminal case under Article 199 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (" Tax evasion on an especially large scale."

The case, which is now being investigated by the investigative department of the Investigative Committee for the South-Eastern District of the capital, is based on the materials of an on-site inspection of Kefir Production by employees of the Federal Tax Service No. 8 in Moscow.

The tax authorities were suspicious of contracts for the provision of services concluded by Kefir Production in 2009-2010 with Elysium LLC for a total amount of 115 million rubles, and similar agreements with Sokol LLC. In accordance with them, the customer was to be provided with a range of services related to attracting potential participants, photography and video filming of the television programs “Intuition” and “Battle of Psychics”. In addition, Kefir Production LLC, under these agreements, received exclusive property and related rights to all audio and video materials created during the filming process, contained on any type of media, with the right to transfer rights to third parties. In turn, by paying for the services of contractors, Kefir Production significantly reduced the tax base, and also received decent VAT deductions.

However, as the tax authorities established, Elysium LLC could not provide any services to the customer. The company was not located at the place of registration, did not have a staff, a production base, or its own transport, paid taxes in the minimum amount, and the funds received into its account from Kefir Production were immediately transferred to other companies, and they, in turn, sent them to commission agreements with Tallinn Business Bank.

Found by the tax authorities, Alexander Elizarov, who according to the documents was the founder, general director and chief accountant of Elysium, said that he had nothing to do with this company and, moreover, had not signed any contracts with Kefir Production.

In turn, checking the contracts of Kefir Production with Sokol LLC, the tax authorities found out that the latter company was once engaged in wholesale trade, but since 2008 it has not conducted any financial and economic activities and does not report to the tax authorities. The contracts between Kefir Production and Sokol LLC were signed on behalf of a certain Yashin, who turned out to be the founder and director of 50 fly-by-night companies. Moreover, he himself claimed that he had nothing to do with them, and did not conduct any business with Kefir Production.

Meanwhile, questioned by tax officials, Vladislav Severtsev, until recently the general director of Kefir Production LLC, confirmed that Elysium and Sokol were contractors of his company for the production of television programs, but could not clarify which ones specifically. According to him, he had no contacts with the leadership of these societies.

Based on the results of their audit, tax officials fined Kefir Production 8.7 million rubles. In addition, the company was asked to pay penalties for late fulfillment of tax obligations in the amount of 8.8 million rubles, as well as arrears of VAT in the amount of 23.4 million rubles. The arrears were accrued in connection with the identification by the tax authority of Kefir Production LLC of understating the tax base for corporate income tax in 2009-2010 and the unjustified deduction of value added tax on expenses under contracts with contractors - Sokol LLC and LLC "Elysium".

Kefir Production appealed the actions of the inspectors to the capital's department of the Federal Tax Service, and having received a refusal, it appealed to the Moscow Arbitration Court, which in November last year fully supported the demands of the tax authorities. After this, representatives of the Federal Tax Service contacted the police and the Investigative Committee. They conducted their own checks and opened a criminal case for tax evasion.

Kefir Production did not comment on the situation yesterday, citing the lack of management. Both representatives of the TNT channel and Mr. Severtsev refused to discuss the initiation of a criminal case.

Nikolay Sergeev

Taxes were lost in "Battles of Psychics"