Russia Raises Income Tax on Rich to Pay for Ukraine War

Russia launched plans to sharply raise taxes on high earners and companies to fill state coffers and fund what it sees as a long war in Ukraine.

A government commission on Wednesday approved a Finance Ministry plan to introduce a new progressive income tax as well as raise corporate tax rates. The proposed amendments, which would come into force from next year, are expected to bring an additional 2.6 trillion rubles, or around $29 billion.

The amendments, which represent the biggest overhaul of the Russian tax system in years, are a sign of President Vladimir Putin’s bet on a protracted and costly war and his continuing efforts to align both society and the economy with the military effort.

Russia currently has a flat tax of 13% for most people, with some higher earners paying a 15% rate, a significantly lower tax burden than in the U.S. or Europe. According to the proposed changes, new rates would range from the current 13% for those earning up to the equivalent of $27,000 a year to as high as 22% for those exceeding $560,000. Per capita household income is around $7,100, according to data provider CEIC.

Russia’s military expenditures are already running at over 6% of gross domestic product, approaching levels reached by the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War in the 1980s. Earlier this month, Putin appointed a macroeconomist, Andrei Belousov, as minister of defense, highlighting the extent to which the war has become central to Russia’s economic paradigm.