Today is the last day during which non-residents, who act in Ukraine through separate subdivisions and have a registered permanent establishment, can register with tax authorities and as a corporate income taxpayers.
Alerts
On March 28, 2021, law of Ukraine no. 1293-IX, amending the Tax Code of Ukraine and law of Ukraine no. 1294-IX, amending the Customs Code of Ukraine (both laws are dated March 2, 2021) came into force. The laws in question are aimed at implementation of another recently adopted law of Ukraine – “On state support of investment projects with significant investments in Ukraine”, providing a framework of state support for investment projects that comply with the list of criteria. Two recently signed laws specify the scope of tax and customs duties exemptions which investors who make significant investments may receive.
On February 27, 2021, Law № 1183-IX on Amendments to the Commercial Code of Ukraine to Eliminate Legal Conflicts in the Requirements to the Charters of Limited and Additional Liability Companies entered into force.
Впродовж 2020 року систематично вносилися зміни до Податкового кодексу України та інших законів, спрямовані на додаткову підтримку платників податків у зв’язку з поширенням коронавірусної хвороби. Нині ситуація мало змінилася. До того ж, погіршилося соціально-економічне становище в Україні, зумовлене карантинними заходами. Це означає, що державна підтримка у вигляді надання податкових пільг так само актуальна для бізнесу і протягом 2021 року.
The modern information technology market is developing extremely rapidly. Cryptocurrencies, which are very popular in Ukraine, are no exception. Moreover, according to authoritative publications, Ukraine is among the countries where the use of cryptocurrency is one of the most common in the world.
The adaptive quarantine in Ukraine has officially been extended until 28 February 2021 (unless a further extension takes place).
For the last 3 years shareholders of Ukrainian joint-stock companies and courts have been dealing with a new corporate instrument introduced in November 2017, namely the procedure for the mandatory sale of shares at the request of the owner of more than 95% of the shares of a company, referred to as a squeeze-out. Since then, over 300 joint-stock companies have gone through a squeeze-out procedure, buying out thousands of their minority shareholders.
2020 рік був досить щедрим на зміни податкового законодавства. Чи не найголовнішою подією стала податкова реформа, реалізована з прийняттям Закону 466, деякі положення якого вже набули чинності, деякі ще набудуть, а запровадження якихось вже навіть встигли відтермінувати. Однією з передбачених Законом 466 новацій є запровадження положень щодо звільнення від відповідальності чи пом’якшення відповідальності щодо податкових правопорушень, які набувають чинності вже 01.01.2021 року.
Following the coordination meeting chaired by the First Deputy Minister of Energy Ms. Olha Buslavets with the participation of JSC “NEC “Ukrenergo” (TSO), State Enterprise “Guaranteed Buyer” (offtaker) and the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, the planned “green” auction quotas and preliminary timeline for holding them in 2021 have been presented by the Ministry of Energy on 03 December 2020 to the wider audience consisting mainly of representatives of NGOs and investors in renewable energy sources (“RES”) projects.
Запровадження в Україні карантинних заходів позначилося на всіх сферах суспільного життя, спричинило закономірний спад ділової активності та введення низки тимчасових податкових пільг для підтримки бізнесу у цей непростий для нього період. Нині очевидно, що ситуація з COVID-19 затягується на невизначений період. Відтак, свіжі законодавчі ініціативи у сфері податкового регулювання спрямовані на поступове зняття податкових пільг, зумовлених запровадженням карантину, а також на усунення неточностей (логічних неузгодженостей) у чинному податковому законодавстві напередодні нового бюджетного періоду.
On 6 November 2020, the Ukrainian Parliament registered a Draft Law prepared by the Ministry of Justice and approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, regarding improvement of the corporate and real estate registries’ reliability and security. The Draft Law No 4338 “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine concerning Regulation of Activities in the Sphere of State Registration of Real Property Rights and Encumbrances and in the Sphere of State Registration of Legal Entities, Individual Entrepreneurs and public formations ” (hereinafter the Draft Law).
Ukraine has updated the procedure and, accordingly, the order for holding auctions for sale of special permits for subsoil use.
On 27 October 2020, the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On Approval of the Procedure for Holding Auctions for Sale of Special Permits for Subsoil Use” entered into force. It replaced the relevant Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of 2011 and 2018, which expired.
The fate of Draft Law No. 2634 of 19.12.2019 has not yet been decided (see the article Collection of VAT from non-residents for provision of electronic services in Ukraine). However, the Verkhovna Rada registered another Draft Law “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine to Abolish Taxation of Income Received by Non-Residents in the Form of Payment for Production and/or Distribution of Advertising and Improvement of the Taxation Procedure by Value Added Tax of Electronic Services Provided to Individuals by Non-Residents № 4184 of 02.10.2020 (hereinafter – the Draft Law № 4184).
On 26 August 2020, the National Energy and Utility Regulatory Commission (“NEURC”) finally approved a new methodology for incentive pricing (regulatory asset base regulation) for distribution system operators (“DSOs”). At present, Ukraine uses the cost-plus-tariff setting system for DSOs, which leads to negative consequences for the state of power networks.
The first auctions for the sale of Ukraine’s state-owned distilleries are planned for mid-September 2020, according to a recent Facebook post by Serhiy Bleskun, acting director of the Ukrspyrt State Enterprise. Before July 2020, the state held a monopoly over the ethyl alcohol distilling industry in Ukraine through Ukrspyrt, a fully state-owned company.
Запровадження мінімального розрахункового податку чи поставленого податкового зобов’язання хвилює українську спільноту ще з дня оприлюднення Проєкту Закону про внесення змін до Податкового кодексу України та інших законодавчих актів України щодо детінізації виробництва сільськогосподарської продукції № 3131 від 27.02.2020 (далі – Законопроєкт № 3131).
Законопроект № 3853-2 «Про внесення змін до Податкового кодексу України та деяких інших законодавчих актів України щодо визначення обсягів доходів для застосування спрощеної системи оподаткування, відновлення права платників єдиного податку не застосовувати реєстратори розрахункових операцій та скасування корупційного механізму кеш-бек» від 28.07.2020 пропонує скасувати низку суттєвих положень, нещодавно запроваджених Законом № 129-ІХ «Про внесення змін до Податкового кодексу України щодо детінізації розрахунків у сфері торгівлі і послуг» від 20.09.2019.
On 21 August 2020, Swedbank and the Norwegian Energy Solar Cluster co-hosted the Digital Investor Forum for Solar Energy and Batteries. The promising future of clean hydrogen was widely discussed by the sector experts leveraging new investment opportunities across the European energy markets.
After an eleven-year ban on the gambling industry, Ukraine has taken an important political step to relaunch the sector. To legalize gambling, the Parliament of Ukraine voted in favor of the new sector regulations which came into force on 13 August 2020.
On 21 July 2020, the Ukrainian parliament passed Draft Law No. 2258 “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on Strengthening the Protection of Rights on Trademarks and Industrial Designs, as well as on Combating Patent Trolling” (hereinafter the “Law”) which introduced many changes that seek to further harmonize Ukrainian legislation with EU regulations, in particular with Directive 2008/95/EC relating to trademarks.
Trends in development of the IT industry around the world demonstrate ever-increasing competition between countries for qualified IT specialists, preservation of high-tech companies within countries and creation of the most business-friendly conditions for their activities. This is largely due to the fact that the IT sector is not only highly profitable, but also attracts new foreign and national investors to a country’s economy.
On 21 July 2020, the Law on Feed-in Tariff Restructuring (the “Law”) was passed by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
16 червня 2020 року Верховною Радою України зареєстровано проєкт Закону України «Про внесення змін до Податкового кодексу України та деяких інших законодавчих актів України щодо запровадження податку на виведений капітал на заміну податку на прибуток підприємств» № 3665 від 16.06.2020 (далі – Законопроєкт № 3665).
On 1 July 2020, Ukraine abolished its state monopoly on the production and distribution of ethyl alcohol. On this day, the law on liberalization of the ethyl alcohol market came into force following its adoption last year.
On 20 July 2020, the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities recommended to the Parliament to pass the Draft Law on FiT Restructuring No. 3658 (submitted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on 15th June 2020) in the second reading and as a whole.
On July 13, 2020, the Unified State Electronic System for the Construction Sector was launched in an experimental capacity on Diya web-portal (the State Web Portal of Electronic Services, available at the link).
On July 1, 2020, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) replaced the National Commission for State Regulation of Financial Services Markets (NCFS) as the regulator of non-banking financial services markets in Ukraine.
The Law “On Amendments to the Commercial Code of Ukraine and the Civil Code of Ukraine Concerning the Prevention of Penalty Sanctions on Credits (Loans) During the Quarantine Period Established to Prevent the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ukraine” came into force in Ukraine on July 1, 2020.
On 19 June 2020, the Parliament of Ukraine finally passed the long-awaited (read our previous article here) Law of Ukraine “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine Concerning Simplification of Attracting Investments and Introduction of New Financial Instruments” (the “Capital Markets Law” / “the Law”).
On 18 December 2017, the Law on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA Law) took full effect, marking the end of the old model of environmental impact expertise and implementing the standards of the European environmental impact assessment model set out in Directive 2011/92/EU into national law.
On 18 June 2020, the Parliament of Ukraine finally adopted a temporary package of measures to address bankruptcy-related risks which have arisen due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the most systemically damaging contractual breaches are non-performing loans (the “NPLs“). They affect the economy by distorting the allocation of credit and worsening market confidence, which ultimately slows economic growth.¹
I. The NEURC has imposed fines on 14 RES producers for failure to fulfil dispatcher commands to curtail generation
On 27 May 2020, the National Energy and Utility Regulatory Commission (“NEURC”) considered the matter of the violation of licensing conditions on electricity generation by 20 renewable energy source (“RES”) producers for non-fulfilment of dispatcher’s command to curtail generation.
On 15 June 2020, the Draft Law “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the Improvement of Conditions of Support for the Production of Electricity from Alternative Energy Sources” No. 3658 (the “Draft Law”) was registered at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s subsoil use sector has undergone a significant transformation and major development in recent times. In 2019, for the first time in several years, auctions for the sale of special subsoil use permits and tenders for production sharing agreements (“PSAs”) for numerous oil and gas fields were conducted.
Проблема українських доріг ніколи не втрачала своєї гостроти. Для нашої держави вона є так само актуальною зараз, як і десять років тому. Корупційні механізми, бюрократичні перепони, нестача фінансування та, у зв’язку з цим, низька якість і недовговічність традиційно виступають основними причинами, які зумовлюють сумнозвісний стан українських доріг.
7 квітня 2020 року Наказом № 230 Міністерства енергетики та захисту довкілля України затверджено Положення «Про територіальні та міжрегіональні територіальні органи Держекоінспекції». З прийняттям цього Наказу попередній наказ від 11 серпня 2017 року № 312 «Про територіальні органи Держекоінспекції» втратив чинність.
The existence of a shadow agricultural land leasing market negatively impacts on the economic situation of Ukraine due to the underpayment of taxes.
On 20 May 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (the “CMU”) passed two important Resolutions in the energy sector: the Resolution on amendments to Regulations imposing Public Service Obligations (“PSO”) on electricity market entities (the “Resolution on PSO”), and the Resolution on amendments to the Procedure on holding electronic auctions for the sale of electricity under bilateral contracts (the “Resolution on the Procedure for Holding Auctions”).
Незважаючи на запровадження Постановою Кабінету міністрів України № 392 від 20 травня 2020 року послаблення карантинних заходів, у парламенті зареєстровано низку нових законопроектів, спрямованих на додаткову підтримку бізнесу.
Law № 466-IX “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine regarding Improvement of Tax Administration, Elimination of Technical and Logical Inconsistencies in Tax Legislation” was published in the official newspaper “Voice of Ukraine” on May 22, 2020.
Для бізнесу, який задіяний у гірничій або нафтогазовій сферах, перевірка Держгеонадра щодо дотримання суб’єктом господарювання вимог законодавства у сфері геологічного вивчення та раціонального використання надр є особливою подією в житті, на яку чекають та до якої готуються.
Очевидно, що запровадження в Україні карантинних заходів неминуче відбилося на всіх сферах життєдіяльності, призвело до закономірного спаду ділової активності, що так чи інакше зачепило усі верстви населення країни.
В Україні триває боротьба з поширенням коронавірусної хвороби COVID-19. Тим часом держава не зволікає та впроваджує нові цифрові сервіси, які покликані допомогти людям проходити обов’язкову самоізоляцію на період карантину.
Визначення статусу податкового резидента України відбувається з урахуванням певних критеріїв, які не завжди є достатньо зрозумілими для іноземних громадян. Крім того, у вказаному питанні відсутня усталена та загальновідома практика правозастосування, оскільки кожен випадок розглядається індивідуально із застосуванням тих чи інших критеріїв.
On 28 April 2020, the Law of Ukraine “On Preventing and Counteracting the Legalization (Laundering) of Proceeds of Crime, Financing Terrorism and Financing the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction” (hereinafter – “Law No 361-20”) entered into force.
18 квітня 2020 року набрав чинності Закон України №559-IX від 13.04.2020 «Про внесення змін до деяких законодавчих актів України щодо запровадження єдиного рахунку для сплати податків і зборів, єдиного внеску на загальнообов’язкове державне соціальне страхування» (надалі – Закон).
З прийняттям Закону 361-IX українці матимуть справу із низкою нововведень і, якщо процедури зупинення фінансових та видаткових операцій самі по собі не є новими, а зазнали лише окремих змін, то інститут «замороження» активів запроваджено вперше на території нашої країни.
The COVID-19 lockdown has largely paralyzed the economy across the globe and will inevitably (if not yet) cause liquidity problems for many businesses. As a result, many anticipate a tsunami of bankruptcy cases to follow shortly.
On 16 April 2020, the National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine (the “NCSSM“) approved the Provisional Procedure for the remote holding of general meetings of shareholders and general meetings of members of corporate investment funds (the “Provisional Procedure“).
Питання реєстрації податкових накладних у Єдиному реєстрі податкових накладних має важливе значення для платників податку на додану вартість, адже саме від цього факту у майбутньому залежить право покупця на включення сум податку на додану вартість до податкового кредиту.
Для підприємств, які задіяні в гірничій або нафтогазовій сферах, необхідність отримання спеціального дозволу на користування надрами є буденним явищем.
Для підприємств, які задіяні в гірничій або нафтогазовій сферах, необхідність отримання спеціального дозволу на користування надрами є буденним явищем.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has announced the introduction of quarantine in Ukraine from 12 March until 24 April 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19¹. Since the quarantine regime imposes significant restrictions and limitations on business activity within the country, the government of Ukraine has introduced several defensive mechanisms to mitigate the adverse consequences of such restrictions.
I. #COVID-2019: NEURC Passes Extraordinary Resolution to Ease Obligations of Electricity Market Participants During the Quarantine Period
On 8 April 2020, the National Energy and Utility Regulatory Commission (“NEURC”) has adopted a new Resolution which temporarily introduces restrictions and obligations on electricity market participants (the “Special Measures”).
28 квітня 2020 року в Україні набере чинності Закон України «Про запобігання та протидію легалізації (відмиванню) доходів, одержаних злочинним шляхом, фінансуванню тероризму та фінансуванню розповсюдження зброї масового знищення» № 361-IX від 06 грудня 2019 року (далі – Закон).
Поширення коронавірусу в Україні і в світі неминуче відбилося на економіці країн, призводячи до спаду ділової та економічної активності, зменшення обсягу виробництва та значно збільшивши попит на товари першої необхідності, товари протиепідемічного призначення та дезінфікуючі засоби.
In today’s circumstances, when the spread of coronavirus has literally paralyzed normal commercial activity in most business sectors, many companies are now facing serious financial difficulties. Quite often, distressed businesses are a potential threat to the banking system, which may be exposed to the risk of a non-performing loan (“NPL”) problem.
On March 31, 2020, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted draft law No. 2178-10 (hereinafter – the “Law”), which introduces a land market in Ukraine from July 1, 2021. This historic event will have significant consequences, both for individual citizens of Ukraine and for the country.
On 30 March 2020, Parliament enacted a new law: ‘On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine to Provide Additional Social and Economic Safeguards in Ukraine during the Spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19)’ (Coronavirus Social and Economic Law).
As the number of coronavirus cases reported in Ukraine increases, state authorities keep actively debating the necessity of introducing a State of Emergency in Ukraine to cope with the COVID-19 outbreak.
On 24 March 2020, in order to meet the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (“IMF“), the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mr. Denys Shmygal has submitted Draft Law No. 3260 [1] to the Parliament.
Over the last two weeks, the Ukrainian government introduced significant restrictions for business in Ukraine, commonly referred to as “quarantine” measures.
On December 19, 2019, the bill No. 2634 “On amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine on taxation by means of a value-added tax on electronic services provided by non-residents to individuals in the customs territory of Ukraine” (hereinafter – the bill), was registered in the Verkhovna Rada.
Law No. 530-ІХ “On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine aimed at Preventing the Occurrence and Spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)” entered into force on March 17, 2020. In particular, the provisions of this Law determine that now force majeure (force majeure circumstances) apply to the quarantine established by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Corresponding changes have been made to the Law of Ukraine “On Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Ukraine”.
In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus COVID-19 among the population of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Parliament recently adopted two laws No. 530-ІХ and No. 533-IX, which will significantly affect both business and the broader population in Ukraine. On March 17th, 2020 the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed the adopted laws and they were officially published. On March 18th, 2020 the laws entered into force.
The Cabinet of Ministry of Ukraine (“CMU”) updated the Conditions for Access to Geological Information (approved by CMU Resolution dated November 7, 2018 no. 939), which regulate main aspects of producing and using geological information.
The Ukrainian government continues to move on with its ambitious program of reforms aimed at the creation of a more business-friendly, transparent and flexible legal environment.
On February 3, 2020, the Government registered in Parliament draft law No.2831 On the List of Objects of State Ownership that cannot be Privatised (the List). Previously, on October 2, 2019, the Parliament of Ukraine adopted a law 145-IX On the Abolition of the Law of Ukraine on the List of Objects of State Ownership that cannot be Privatised in its second reading.
Key issues:
- Termination of an employment contract
- Changes in the organisation of production and labour
- Collective dismissal.
The Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (hereinafter – MLI Convention) is an effective tool for signatory countries to make amendments to some or all of their double taxation treaties (hereinafter – DTT) concurrently.
2019 was a year of several substantial developments in Ukrainian corporate law and practice. Here is a glance over some of the most interesting developments from our Corporate Law team.
On October 23, 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine (hereinafter – CMU) adopted Resolution No.928 on amendments to Resolution No. 615 on the procedure for granting special permits for subsoil use, approved by the CMU on May 30, 2011. Resolution No.928 entered into force on November 21, 2019.
Since 2001 the sale of agricultural land in Ukraine has been prohibited. Most land plots used in the agricultural sector are done so based on long-term lease agreements.
On the 13th September 2019 the Parliament of Ukraine adopted the draft law No.1054-1
Raiding, or the illicit acquisition of property, has become one of the most critical bottlenecks of the Ukrainian economy and a major deterrent for investment. According to the statistics of the General Prosecutor Office of Ukraine, over the last seven years there were more than 3 200 raider attack incidents in Ukraine and, on average, about 400 raider attacks per year.
In September 2019 the Parliament of Ukraine commenced a large scale legislative overhaul of the country’s tax system through draft laws No.1208, No. 1080, No.1051, No.1057, No.1073, No.1053-1 and No.1210. Overall, these drafts attempt to unify tax innovations and to eliminate any contradictions in the tax system.
On 11 September 2019 the Parliament of Ukraine adopted the draft law No.1031 “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Relating to Expropriation of Illegal Assets from Persons Authorised to Execute Functions of State” on its first reading.
On 19 September 2019 the Parliament of Ukraine upheld the Draft Law No. 1070 On Amending Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Improvement of Conducting Financial Restructuring Procedure (‘the Law’), which was stated by the President of Ukraine to be urgent, and adopted it in its 2nd reading.
On August 21, 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved new procedures for state supervision and control of compliance with labor legislation. On August 30, 2019, these new procedures entered into force.
On the 16th of July 2019 the law “On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the State language” №2704-VIII (hereinafter referred to as the “Law”) was adopted.
The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) has announced the annulment of all restrictions on the repatriation of dividends.
From July 19, 2019, the cost of registration of intellectual property (IP) rights in Ukraine will increase three-fold on average.
The National Bank of Ukraine ( has abolished a rule that required businesses to exchange 30 of their foreign currency earnings into Ukrainian hrivnia ( on the currency exchange market on the day following receipt of foreign currency on their bank account in Ukraine The new regulation took effect on 20 June 2019.
On June 10, 2019, the President of Ukraine submitted to the Parliament Draft Law No. 10376 (“Draft Law”) on amending the Law of Ukraine “On the Electricity Market”.
In recent years, Ukraine has created favorable conditions for the development of green energy, most specifically by means of establishing the highest feed-in tariff among countries on the European continent.
Clearstream, the international central securities depository of Deutsche Börse Group ICSD) has connected Ukraine to its electronic network and made Ukraine’s government securities available for purchase in its system since May 27.
Ukraine is one of the members of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and has ratified major international treaties in the field of Intellectual Property (IP) that are in effect in Ukraine.
According to the 2018 Law of Ukraine “On Limited Liability and Additional Liability Companies” (“the LLC Law”), the deadline for bringing the wording of Ukrainian LLC charters in compliance with the LLC Law will expire on 17 of June 2019.
The Law of Ukraine on ratification of the MLI Convention came into force on the 2 nd of April 2019 Accordingly, we should expect modification of Ukraine’s international treaties for the avoidance of double taxation (“double taxation treaties”, or “ in the nearest future What is the MLI Convention and what is the purpose of its development?
While the Code of Ukraine on Bankruptcy Procedures (‘Bankruptcy Code of Ukraine’) is still awaiting the signature of the President of Ukraine, we continue analyzing the forthcoming changes and developments that will come with the launched bankruptcy law reform in Ukraine.
Global tendencies and intensively developing restructuring & bankruptcy legal environment across the globe make it impossible to stay aside from such processes. Ukraine is not an exception.
Ukrainian banking regulation on cross-border transactions has been radically liberalized with the new Law of Ukraine “On Currency and Currency Operations” taking force on February 7, 2019.