Zelenskyy promises fully automated tax and customs offices

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has promised his fellow Ukrainians a radical reform of the tax and customs services, with lower taxes and contact between officials and citizens kept to a minimum, but this will come in exchange for closing loopholes and taxpayers’ good faith.

Source: The president announced this on Tuesday during a speech in the Verkhovna Rada.

Quote: "Our goal is a tax office without tax officers, a customs office without customs officers. Automatic digital procedures," the president said.

Zelenskyy said digitalisation offers tremendous opportunities to simplify taxes and customs relationships, where there is any contact between a citizen or business and an official.

At the same time, the president confirmed once again that he would like to lower taxes. But this, he said, will entail increased responsibility.

Quote: "Ukraine needs a new tax compact between the state and society, a true legalisation of property. But when Ukraine has won [the war]... lower taxes must mean increased honesty when it comes to taxes," the president said.

Zelenskyy reiterated that these changes should take place after the war because at the moment, "during such a war and with Ukraine's obvious dependence on cooperation with financial donors", Ukraine cannot afford it.

Background: In March 2023, the IMF expressed the position that Ukraine should refrain from making any tax changes until the end of the war if they reduce revenues to the budget.

Subsequently, Zelenskyy said that he supports radical tax reform, but not until after the war.

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