On April 2, 2015, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko adopted Decree No. 3 “On the Prevention of Social Dependence” and introduced a special tax, which is popularly known as the “parasitism” tax. If a person does not have a permanent job for six months, he must pay this type of fee to the treasury. A citizen who has decided to evade payment obligations may receive an administrative arrest with forced labor.
Goals
The tax on "parasitism" in Belarus has been introduced with the following objectives:
- Replenishment of the treasury. The stable economy of the country depends on this. Now the treasury is enriched thanks to those people who, due to various circumstances, did not pay income tax.
- Free medicine. Yes, medicine has always been free. Every working citizen is deducted from the health tax, but the unemployed also received free medical care, without paying any fee.
- Reducing unemployment. In the first place, such a decision of the government was directed. Thus, unemployment is the scourge of our time, and each state seeks to lower its level. After the decree, many began to look for work, so as not to pay tax out of pocket.
Who said that since 2017 the tax on "parasitism" has been canceled?
After the lapse of time it can be noted that this fee had its impact on the country's economy. Some people admitted that they are on maintenance, but they were able to make payment without any problems. Therefore, it is unlikely to expect the cancellation of the decree in the near future.
Who is exempt from payment?
The following citizens may not pay the tax on "parasitism":
- Persons under the age of 18.
- Senior citizens. Women aged 55 and men after 60 do not pay the fee, as they are on a well-deserved vacation.
- Students. Full-time students who are studying for the first time. If this is not the first education, then the state will have to pay.
- Disabled and incapacitated citizens.
- People who arrived in the Republic of Belarus after the adoption of the decree.
- Citizens who stay in the country less than 183 days a year.
- Clergy of religious organizations.
- Villager. In rural areas, there are practically no vacancies, so all residents are mainly engaged in farming, and this is also considered work and involves the payment of taxes.
- Parents. After the child reaches the age of three, one of the parents has the right not to pay the tax on "parasitism".
- Parents of children with disabilities. They do not pay the tax on "parasitism" in Belarus until the child is 18 years old. After that they must go to work or pay a fee.
- Citizens who are staying for a long time in the territory of another country must submit all documents, stamps in passports about living abroad.
- The military simply provides a military ID. A conscript employee who has served less than 183 days a year must pay a fee.
- Individual entrepreneurs. Only if more than 20 basic units have been paid taxes for the year.
- Lawyers, notaries, the total tax of which for the year amounted to more than 70 basic units. They may not pay the tax on "parasitism" in Belarus (2015).
- Large parents with three or more children.
- Citizens undergoing retraining will be exempted from paying the fee if they are reprofiling in the direction of the employment center.
- Officially unemployed should be registered at the employment center, but not more than three years. You can refuse the proposed work only twice.
- Owners of rented apartments, provided that they pay taxes on funds received from the delivery of property.
- Serious patients should provide a certificate of incapacity for work or a certificate confirming that they are being treated.
- People in creative professions must provide a ticket that they are in a creative union.
- Prisoners are citizens who have been serving sentences in a penal colony for more than six months.
For all these categories, no tax on parasitism is required. To be exempted from payment, you must submit the relevant documents to the tax authority. And most importantly, collect them on time.
Countries where there is a tax on "parasitism"
In addition to the Republic of Belarus, there is no such tax anywhere else. Each country in its own way is struggling with unemployment. Today, Belarusians are not very happy with this state of affairs.
Who tracks the "parasites"?
The tax and tax authority inspects the income and expenses of citizens and finds out who did not make any payments. Further, a citizen is recognized as a social dependent, and a receipt of payment of the fee is sent to him.
Non-payment penalty
If you fail to pay the tax on "parasitism" in Belarus (2015) on time, you can get a fine. It is charged at a rate of 2-4 base payments. Or an administrative arrest may be imposed, which may last up to 15 days. For each citizen, the measure of punishment is determined individually. During arrest, the offender must carry out community service. What kind of work will be carried out is decided by local authorities. Note that pregnant women are released from custody.
When to pay?
Social dependency is taxed, which is paid until November 15 of next year. If no payments are made within the prescribed time period, then penalties will be imposed automatically. For example, the fee for 2016 must be paid before November 15, 2017. Better not to be late with payment. It is also very important to bring documents proving the availability of the opportunity not to pay the fee.
What should I do if a notice arrives?
If you received a letter stating that you are a “parasite”, then within 30 calendar days you can submit documents to the tax office that you are exempt from tax. For 30 days your papers are checked. If the tax office is satisfied with the documents, then you can forget about the payment. And if they didn’t like something, then they would have to sort it out or redo the certificates.
The nuances of the collection
Many argue that social dependency is no longer taxed. But, to their great regret, there are no prerequisites for the authorities to decide to cancel the collection. Therefore, you need to know all the nuances of this bill so that then there are no troubles. Many people think that if there is no registration in Belarus, then you can not pay the fee. This is actually not true. Such citizens are also being monitored, and if they evade payment, then they are put on the wanted list. The government states that ignorance of the collection law does not exempt from its payment.
Many articles on the Web told people that housewives might not pay the fee. However, the president has repeatedly commented on this case. If the family decided that the husband can provide for his wife completely, then he will be able to pay the fee for her. Only those housewives who have a minor child in their care, or if they are mothers of large families, are released. So do not wonder if the tax on "parasitism" will be abolished. Most likely not.
After the introduction of this fee, according to official figures, unemployment has sharply decreased in the country. Many residents of Belarus are afraid of losing their position. By signing this bill, the president pursued certain goals, which, in his words, fully paid off. The law equalized all segments of the population, both the poor and the rich. In the first days after the decree, many were outraged by the order signed by Lukashenko. And now mass protests and street demonstrations for the abolition of the decree continue.
And for those citizens who do not want to work, there is an alternative - paying tax. The authorities say that no one forces people to work, that this bill does not violate the Constitution of the country, which states that a person has the right to choose. To work or not, the person decides, simply the state asks to finance its treasury.