Ukraine's tax base could be revised in 2026 due to external financing issues - Ukrainian MP
MOSCOW. April 11 (Interfax) - The filling of Ukraine's state budget in 2025 is going as planned, but there is an uncertainty for 2026 due to a gap in external financing, therefore, the tax base could be revised, Daniil Getmantsev, head of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation, and Customs Policy, said.
"We are confident in receiving over $38 billion in assistance from external sources [in 2025]. [...] But 2026 is a little different. There is much more uncertainty, a gap in external financing today, it cannot be covered by internal sources," Ukrainian media outlets quoted Getmantsev as saying at the Business Wisdom Summit 2025 on Friday.
The tax base will definitely not be revised in 2025, Getmantsev said. "As for 2026, we will also try not to revise and do our best to cover it by means of other available sources," he said.
Before considering raising taxes, the state must fully use the potential of de-shadowing the economy, he said. Tax revenues from de-shadowing this year alone are expected at the level of $4 billion compared to the last year's $2.5 billion.
Additional reserves are also possible through domestic government bonds, in particular, by means of the high liquidity in the banking system and local budget resources, he said.
Furthermore, budgetary savings are an important source, he said. At the same time, Getmantsev noted that many programs were not approved in the beginning of the year, and it shows the inefficiency and mismanagement of certain ministries.
"I think, such programs need to be cancelled altogether, these funds need to be redistributed, and the funds from the programs which are inefficient, such as cashback, need to be redistributed," he said.
As reported, the bill amending the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding the particularities of taxation during martial law entered in effect on January 1, 2025; it envisaged an increase of the military duty from 1.5% to 5% from January 1, 2025.
