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Welcome from Alinga!
April is a special month for both American and Russian workers. It's the month when both have to file their income taxes. For Americans working in Russia, this can be exceptionally painful and confusing, as, for many, taxes must be filed with both the American and Russian government. To ease this process, Alinga is now launching a new personal income tax service to help American expats in Russia. Click here for more information!

 

If you have comments, questions, or suggestions on other ways we can improve our site and newsletter, please contact the editor at jwilson@acg.ru! To subscribe to this newsletter, send an email with "Subscribe Alinga" in the subject field to jwilson@acg.ru.

 

 

Notify Your Accountants!

There is much more "Accounting and Payroll" information available in the Russian version of this same newsletter!

 

 

 

New Tax Service For Americans Living in Russia!
Alinga Consulting Group, experts in Russian taxation and accounting since 1999, has now teamed up with US tax accountants to help expats living in Russia file their personal income taxes (information in English).

 

Standard Deductions In 2009

In a letter dated January 21, 2009, the Russian Ministry of Finance stated that individuals may save a little more on taxes in 2009 with increased deductions.

 

Release Of Report On Abuse Of Charities For Money-Laundering And Tax Evasion

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has surveyed the status attached to charities in 19 countries, in the Report on Abuse of Charities for Money-Laundering and Tax Evasion. 

 

 

Prosecution Comes Up With New Version Of Politkovskaya's Assassination

The prosecution has come up with a new version of Novaya Gazeta newspaper observer Anna Politkovskaya's assassination.

 

The Airline Was Proven Wrong…

Natalia Prissetskaya, a Manager at "Perspektiva," has been vindicated in her campaign, together with Perspektiva lawyers, for compensation from Siberia Airlines (S7), which had refused unlawfully to let her board a flight.

 

Moscow Region Lowers Foreign Labor Quota

According to Victor Rushev, head of Department of Labor and Social Affairs of Moscow Region, the 2009 quota for foreign labor in the Moscow Region will be decreased 20 percent.

 

Erroneous Payment Ordered Reimbursed

A private entrepreneur filed a case with arbitration court against the Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) for reimbursement of funds transferred because of an error in the payment order.

 

Duma Votes 'Yes' On Simplified Procedures For Obtaining Citizenship

According to the draft bill approved by Duma in first reading, Russian citizenship may be obtained through a simplified procedure (without necessary 5 years uninterrupted residence in Russia and residence permit).

 

Kremlin Ideologist Surkov Reportedly To Meet Bloggers To Plan Internet Strategy

The economic crisis, growing unemployment, the fear of social protest, the specter of an "Orange Revolution" Russian-style, and finally, information suffocation, are forcing people in power, including that well-known blogger President Dmitriy Medvedev, to peer increasingly attentively at their computer screens: How does this unknown -- to them -- country live?

  

 

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One-Fifth Of Russians Disagree With The "Black Wages"

21% of Russians are not ready to accept under-the-table salaries.

 

A Cure For Poverty

Authorities 'clear' foreigners from Russian labor market.

 

Notify Your HR!

There is much more HR information available in the Russian version of this same newsletter!

 

 

 

Review of Russian Economic News in English

This review is produced monthly by The School of Russian and Asian Studies, the US-Russia Chamber of Commerce of New England (USRCCNE), and Alinga Consulting Group.

 

Moscow's Hot Water To Be Turned Off For "Only" Two Weeks

The regular summer pipe maintenance will deprive Muscovites of hot water for 14 days this year, instead of the usual 21, according to an announcement made by Mayor Yuri Luzhkov at the city administration meeting.

 

Russian-US Trade Turnover Ups 35 Percent In 2008

The Russian-US trade turnover grew 35.3 percent in 2008 to $36.11 billion, the Russian trade mission in Washington told Tass on Thursday citing US Energy Department statistics.

 

U.S.-Russia Business Council Submits Russia Policy Recommendations To The Obama Administration

Closer commercial relations are urged as a key to creating a more productive bilateral relationship.

 

 

Devaluation Is Still Ahead

MICEX reached historic minimum: 36.55 rubles/USD as a next-day forward exchange rate. Banking analysts do not expect the ruble to strengthen.

 

Crisis Forcing Russians To Spend Savings

In 2008, Russians' expenditures exceeded their earnings for the first time – by 4.1 billion rubles.

 

Reliance On Raw Materials

Failure to diversify economy dooms Russia to be an exporter of oil and gas and preciously little else. Convinced that Russian economy will remain raw-material oriented, experts appeal to the government to abet its marketability.

 

Public Attitudes Toward Crisis, Unemployment, Examined

Eight Moscow residents who lost their jobs took part in a focus-group discussion.

 

S&P Sees Russia's GDP Falling In 2009 For 1st Time Since 1998-99

Russia's economy is expected to contract in real terms in 2009 for the first time since the 1998-1999 crisis, U.S. ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) said in a press release, citing its new report on the Russian economy.

 

Putin Says Russian Govt To Increase Social Spending In 2009

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday that the government would increase social spending this year, ITAR-TASS reported.

 

Russian Agriculture Faces Deep Crisis Of Overproduction – Expert

Russia's agro-industrial sector is living through a deep crisis of overproduction and can pull through it only if it increases its liquidity and the government offers an export-oriented policy, the president of the Russian Grain Union, Arkady Zlochevsky, said.

 

Orthodox Church May Become One Of Largest Proprietors In Russia

The Economic Development Ministry has drafted a bill which gives every religion registered in Russia the right to own buildings, land and property, including that impounded by the Bolsheviks. If the bill is approved, the Russian Orthodox Church will be one of the largest proprietors in the country, and the authorities will never have to support religious buildings, which is important amid the financial turmoil.

 

Russia's Top Two Social Networking Sites Battle It Out To Be No 1

In January 2009, the pages of the social networking site V kontakte (Russia's version of Facebook, vkontakte.ru) were visited at least once by 13,090,000 unique users from Russia - 11,000 more than Odnoklassniki (Russian version of Classmates or Friends Reunited, odnoklassniki.ru) attracted over the same period.

 

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