04.03.08

Note: This article is a synopsis of the longer Russian original

Soon Russia will have terminals in banks and post offices that can be used to pay taxes, said the Federal Tax Service (FTS). These terminals will be similar to the terminals currently common in Moscow that are used to add money to cell phone and Internet accounts. These will be installed in Sberbanks and Russian Post Offices via an agreement between these two entities and the FTS. With this new automatic system, the FTS hopes the process of receiving citizens’ tax payment information will be accelerated, and a list of tax-debtors can be generated automatically. Those using the system will likely have to pay a commission between 1-3% for the convenience.

The FTS further hopes to introduce bar codes on tax statements, so that banks can process the transaction immediately after it is received. With the new bar code system, a list of defaulters – and the accompanying fines – will be generated instantaneously.

Some point out potential problems: the terminals do not give out change, so under and over payments could lead to complications; technical errors or fraud could lead to considerable losses for the FTS, which would lead to the complicated question of who should be held accountable in such circumstances.

The entities involved have stated they hope to see the agreement implemented "soon."

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