According to the Russian publication "Vedomosti", grants from Russian business to the state have reached a record $383.7 billion. rubles, or about 4.5 billion. dollars, as of Wednesday, August.
ΠThe budget item, called "Free income from illegal organizations", appeared at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, in 2022.
Initially, it was intended only for foreign companies - from "hostile countries", which decided to sell their assets and leave the country. According to local media, in order to get the green light from the regulatory commission for the sale, foreign companies were forced to pay a voluntary contribution.
Since spring, Russian oligarchs and tech businesses have also been paying similar contributions, according to data from "Vedomosti".
A tenfold increase in just one month
The fattening flow begins in earnest after March. Πo data of the Ministry of Finance of the country in the first quarter of the year, business income was barely 15.6 billion rubles.
However, in April, the figure increased tenfold and reached nearly 160 billion rubles. The growth continued strongly and in the following months, as in May, income reached 232.3 billion rubles. rubles.
"Large enterprises determine the size of their contributions based on the company's balance sheet and personal savings", said Alexander Shoshin, head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, quoted by the publication.
Why exactly "donations", and not taxes?
The introduction of A new type of tax or a change to an existing one requires a long procedure. It must be adopted by the State Duma, then changes to the laws must be introduced and a time for entry into force must be determined.
"The donation" is a case of immediate. In addition, when it comes to taxes, the state must determine a clear formula, rate, and benefits. Πri's donation scheme has no ceiling.
The Well newspaper noted that a single meeting with Πytin prompted billionaire Suleiman Kepimov to pledge 100 billion rubles in donations to the state.
The Kremlin clearly stated that the Russian president himself had not approached business with a request for voluntary contributions. According to the government, one of the participants in a meeting held in late March proposed this idea.
Attempt to cut the budget
The government is determined by how loyal the business itself is to the state. Business clearly supports the Kremlin, as the scale of revenues by August exceeded the authorities' expectations.
In the 2026-2028 budget, the Ministry of Finance has allocated only 1.7 billion rubles annually for this item, writes The Well. This figure is already 1.5 times higher than the total for 2025.
ΠThe deficits come against the backdrop of a rapidly growing budget gap. In the first seven months, the deficit reached 2.8% of Russia's GDP, which is about 6.5 trillion rubles - or more than 2 times the target.