A.Tur: “Tax evasion leads to loss of license”
Not a single private entrepreneur has had his or her license taken away starting from the New Year’s Day. But it may happen! PEs agreed to stop paying taxes during their strike. The deputy Minister of Economy informed ERB that their licenses may be taken away in this case. ERB decided to find out whether administrations of markets punished private entrepreneurs who had stopped working. The director of Smalenski Market in Vitsebsk Stsyapan Klyuyeu says that several licenses of private entrepreneurs have already been taken away for violation of the terms of vending:
“We are warning people about the possibility of cancellation of contracts in connection with their absence from work. Some people come and cancel them. There are not many of them – about 10 or 12 people”.
Entrepreneurs working at a Babruisk car market did not come to work on January 10, the day of the republican strike, says a member of the market’s administration:
“They were on strike. Even those who did come to work simply closed their shops and did not let anyone in. They are striking against something. But I don’t know how many of them open their shops or do not come to work”.
Will they be punished for it? If they will, then in what way is it going to happen? The market’s administration does not even know how many people there are. The chief engineer Andrei Shakurau explained ERB that PEs cannot be punished for anything if they have paid their rent:
“They pay the rent for 15 square metres. So it is up to them whether to work or not. They pay their rent a month in advance. They can pay and be absent from work for a month if they like”.
Probably this is the reason why Babruisk entrepreneurs are going to stop working on January 21, the day of the next republican strike:
A member of administration of a Babruisk market “Yelaviki” says: “I have just talked to entrepreneurs working at the market. They said they would go on strike because they had something to lose”.
Only three entrepreneurs did not open their shops at Chyzhouski Market. The director of the market Victar Pleshka says that nobody will punish those PEs because they have references from the tax inspectorate.
Vіctar Pleshka: “Two or three people did not come to work on January 10. They all have vouchers. The three people who did not open their shops on January 10 are on my list and it is written that they took a day off”.
On the other hand, nobody can expect mercy at Kamarouski Market. 13 people have lost their vending places only because they did not come to work during a few days after the New Year’s Day. The deputy ideology director Nadzeya Zhurko says:
“Some people violated the schedule during the holidays. All of them have lost their places”.
Now the places are going to be set up at a contest for other entrepreneurs.
The head of the department of registration and licensing of Minsk City Executive Committee Nadzeya Maroz told ERB that absence from work may also lead to the loss of your license:
“There is a list of gross violations: vending in an inappropriate place, violation of the schedule or range of goods. Some of them lead to the loss of license”.
Moreover, your license can be taken away for the absence of documents and for spoiled goods. Nobody has lost their license starting from the New Year’s Day. But it may happen! Entrepreneurs agreed that they would not pay taxes during their strike. The deputy Minister of Economy Andrei Tur explains what it can result in:
“They will be fined if they violate the tax law. If they refuse to pay the fine their license will be taken away and that’s it”.
The director of Chyzhouski Market Victar Pleshka is sure that nobody will lose their license there:
“Nobody will lose their license. Only those who have not received the necessary documents are not working at the moment. There are about 14 people who are still preparing documents”.
Several entrepreneurs were imprisoned after the meeting of private entrepreneurs that took place on January 10. A Vitsebsk businessman working at Smalenski Market, Syarhei Parsuikovich, is among them. ERB has found out that a reference from prison may be a voucher for him. Market inspectors are not doing anything with his place at the moment. The director of Smalenski Market Stsyapan Klyueu says:
“If they see a free working place they can give it to someone else without any special reason for it. But Parsyukevich is imprisoned and he can bring a reference proving his arrest. So the place is reserved because there will be a good reason for his absence”.
Thus, the arrested Syarhei Parsyukevich has a chance of not being punished when he is released after 15 days of detention.
“We are warning people about the possibility of cancellation of contracts in connection with their absence from work. Some people come and cancel them. There are not many of them – about 10 or 12 people”.
Entrepreneurs working at a Babruisk car market did not come to work on January 10, the day of the republican strike, says a member of the market’s administration:
“They were on strike. Even those who did come to work simply closed their shops and did not let anyone in. They are striking against something. But I don’t know how many of them open their shops or do not come to work”.
Will they be punished for it? If they will, then in what way is it going to happen? The market’s administration does not even know how many people there are. The chief engineer Andrei Shakurau explained ERB that PEs cannot be punished for anything if they have paid their rent:
“They pay the rent for 15 square metres. So it is up to them whether to work or not. They pay their rent a month in advance. They can pay and be absent from work for a month if they like”.
Probably this is the reason why Babruisk entrepreneurs are going to stop working on January 21, the day of the next republican strike:
A member of administration of a Babruisk market “Yelaviki” says: “I have just talked to entrepreneurs working at the market. They said they would go on strike because they had something to lose”.
Only three entrepreneurs did not open their shops at Chyzhouski Market. The director of the market Victar Pleshka says that nobody will punish those PEs because they have references from the tax inspectorate.
Vіctar Pleshka: “Two or three people did not come to work on January 10. They all have vouchers. The three people who did not open their shops on January 10 are on my list and it is written that they took a day off”.
On the other hand, nobody can expect mercy at Kamarouski Market. 13 people have lost their vending places only because they did not come to work during a few days after the New Year’s Day. The deputy ideology director Nadzeya Zhurko says:
“Some people violated the schedule during the holidays. All of them have lost their places”.
Now the places are going to be set up at a contest for other entrepreneurs.
The head of the department of registration and licensing of Minsk City Executive Committee Nadzeya Maroz told ERB that absence from work may also lead to the loss of your license:
“There is a list of gross violations: vending in an inappropriate place, violation of the schedule or range of goods. Some of them lead to the loss of license”.
Moreover, your license can be taken away for the absence of documents and for spoiled goods. Nobody has lost their license starting from the New Year’s Day. But it may happen! Entrepreneurs agreed that they would not pay taxes during their strike. The deputy Minister of Economy Andrei Tur explains what it can result in:
“They will be fined if they violate the tax law. If they refuse to pay the fine their license will be taken away and that’s it”.
The director of Chyzhouski Market Victar Pleshka is sure that nobody will lose their license there:
“Nobody will lose their license. Only those who have not received the necessary documents are not working at the moment. There are about 14 people who are still preparing documents”.
Several entrepreneurs were imprisoned after the meeting of private entrepreneurs that took place on January 10. A Vitsebsk businessman working at Smalenski Market, Syarhei Parsuikovich, is among them. ERB has found out that a reference from prison may be a voucher for him. Market inspectors are not doing anything with his place at the moment. The director of Smalenski Market Stsyapan Klyueu says:
“If they see a free working place they can give it to someone else without any special reason for it. But Parsyukevich is imprisoned and he can bring a reference proving his arrest. So the place is reserved because there will be a good reason for his absence”.
Thus, the arrested Syarhei Parsyukevich has a chance of not being punished when he is released after 15 days of detention.
