16.05.2025

A LIST OF CURRENCIES FOR PAYMENT OF THE AUTHORISED CAPITAL OF A BANK, INSURER OR NON-STATE PENSION FUND HAS BEEN COMPILED

A list of types of foreign currency that can be contributed as payment for the authorised capital of a credit institution, insurance organisation or non-state pension fund has been established. These are the Armenian dram, Belarussian rouble, Brazilian real, UAE dirham, Egyptian pound, Indian rupee, Indonesian rupee, South African rand, Kyrgyzstan som, Kazakhstan tenge and yuan.

15.05.2025

ON THE PAYMENT OF DIVIDENDS BY PUBLIC JOINT STOCK COMPANIES WITH STATE PARTICIPATION

It was previously established that when forming the position of a shareholder that is the Russian Federation in credit institutions, at least 50% of profits should be allocated for the payment of dividends, taking into account income and expenses related to the recognition (restoration) of losses from impairment of fixed assets and intangible assets, with their write-off (except for write-offs related to sale), with changes in the fair value of financial assets and foreign exchange differences.

Now this also applies to public joint stock companies. The share of direct participation of the Russian Federation in the authorised capital of which does not exceed 25% of the total number of votes attributable to voting shares, the securities of which are included in the quotation list of the first (highest) level of the bidding process organiser.

14.05.2025

EXTENSION OF LEGALISATION PERIOD FOR FOREIGN CITIZENS IN RUSSIA

The period during which foreign citizens can legalise their stay in the Russian Federation without leaving the country has been extended until September 10, 2025.

The corresponding amendments have been made to Presidential Decree No. 1126 of December 30, 2024, which provides that foreigners whose details are to be included into the register of controlled persons (i.e., those staying in the Russian Federation without legal grounds) must regularise their legal status in the Russian Federation within the established period (without leaving the Russian Federation and regardless of the declared purpose of entry into the Russian Federation), or voluntarily leave the country.

13.05.2025

FEDERAL TAX SERVICE TO CHANGE THE TIN STRUCTURE AND THE PROCEDURE FOR ITS ASSIGNMENT

The procedure for assigning, using, and adjusting the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is planned to be updated.

A TIN will be assigned to organisations upon their registration with a tax authority at the location of a Russian legal entity upon creation, including through reorganisation or registration in accordance with the Law on International Companies and International Funds; and to foreign organisations upon their initial registration with a tax authority based on the grounds established by the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. A registration reason code will also be assigned to organisations.

TINs for individuals will be assigned upon their initial registration with a tax authority.

The structure of the TIN will be adjusted. The first 4 digits will consist of a two-digit region code of the tax office and a two-digit index determined by the Federal Tax Service.

Citizens will be able to indicate the number from the Unified Population Register instead of the TIN. The rule requiring a TIN stamp in a passport will be abolished.

12.05.2025

THE CABINET OF MINISTERS WILL ADJUST THE RULES FOR LABELLING CERTAIN TYPES OF NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND JUICES

It is proposed to adjust the rules for labelling certain types of non-alcoholic beverages, including those with juice, and juices with identification means. Certain provisions of the rules concerning the provision of data on itemised traceability of excisable goods to the monitoring information system are planned to be abolished.

09.05.2025

BANK OF RUSSIA KEEPS KEY RATE AT 21% PER ANNUM, AS EXPECTED

The Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Russia has once again kept the key interest rate at 21.00% per annum. The rate has been at this level since October 28, 2024.

The Central Bank explains its decision by stating that the current inflationary pressure, including sustained factors, continues to decrease, although it remains high. Domestic demand growth still significantly outpaces the capacity to expand the supply of goods and services. At the same time, according to operational data, the economy has started to gradually return to a balanced growth trajectory.

08.05.2025

FOREIGN CITIZENS AND STATELESS PERSONS - QUALIFIED SPECIALISTS, ELIGIBLE FOR SIMPLIFIED RESIDENCY PERMIT PROCESS: LIST OF PROFESSIONS IS APPROVED

From April 27, 2025, a list of professions (specialties, positions) for foreign citizens and stateless persons - qualified specialists, eligible to obtain a residence permit in Russia without obtaining a temporary residence permit, has come into force.

The list includes professions such as: big data analyst (in the fields of industry, astrophysics, genetics), engineer for implementing new equipment and technology, quantum engineer-programmer, programmer (in the field of unmanned vehicles), metal ship hull assembler (in shipbuilding), and others, totalling 29 specialties.

It is important to note that before applying for a residence permit, an individual must have continuously worked for at least one year in Russia in a profession (specialty, position) included in the list. During this period, the employer must have made insurance contributions to the Russian Pension and Social Insurance Fund on behalf of the foreign citizen.

07.05.2025

THE TOURIST TAX DECLARATION IS SUBMITTED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON APRIL 25, 2025

The tourist tax return for the first quarter of 2025 must be submitted no later than April 25, 2025.

The declaration is submitted by organisations and individuals providing services for the provision of temporary accommodation in places of accommodation included in the relevant register (on the website of the Federal Service for Accreditation), subject to the introduction of a tourist tax on the territory of the municipality.

Such declaration is submitted to the tax authority at the location of the place of accommodation. The largest taxpayers send it to the tax authorities at the place of registration as the largest taxpayer.

06.05.2025

THE STATE PROGRAM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS BEEN CLARIFIED

The Government of the Russian Federation has adjusted the goals and directions for implementing the state program "Environmental Protection". New objectives have been set, such as construction of at least 400 solid municipal waste management facilities and 8 eco-industrial parks; creation of tourism infrastructure in specially protected natural areas (visit centres, scientific, educational and demonstration facilities); assistance in training personnel and specialists in the area of nature conservation; improving the meteorological safety for citizens; construction of the research expedition vessel "Ivan Frolov" to support the activities of the Russian Antarctic Expedition and etc.

05.05.2025

IT HAS BECOME EASIER TO COORDINATE ACTIVITIES IN THE NATIONAL PARK

From March 1, 2026, the procedure for coordinating economic and other activities of organisations and citizens in the territories of national parks and their protected zones has been simplified.

02.05.2025

IT IS PLANNED TO ESTABLISH TERMS FOR THE RETURN OF BUSINESS FROM UNFRIENDLY COUNTRIES TO RUSSIA

It is planned to establish the procedure for coordinating transactions (operations) as a result of which persons from unfriendly countries acquire ownership, possession or use of real estate for entrepreneurial activity in Russia, the right to directly or indirectly dispose of shares (shares in authorised capital) of business entities, as well as other rights that make it possible to determine the terms for managing business entities or the terms for conducting their business.

It was instructed to establish the specifics of the exercise of rights by foreign investors to repurchase shares (shares in authorised capitals) of business entities alienated by them after February 22, 2022, on non-market terms, ensuring the protection of the rights and legitimate interests of Russian citizens and companies that are owners of these shares (shares in authorised capitals).

It is planned to compile a list of persons from unfriendly countries who have ceased (reduced) their business activities in Russia after February 22, 2022. It will contain information on the terms of termination (reduction) of the business, shareholders (participants) of such entities and their beneficial owners.

01.05.2025

COMPLETE BAN ON EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES BY FOREIGN AGENTS TO BE INTRODUCED

Starting from September 1, 2025, a complete ban will be in effect on the engagement of foreign agents in educational activities. This means the following:

- applications for educational licenses will be rejected, and current licences will be revoked, if an applicant or a licence holder is recognised as a foreign agent;

- foreign agents will be prohibited from receiving municipal support and from being included into the register of socially oriented NGOs;

- the list of persons required to indicate their status when disseminating materials or information related to foreign agents will be adjusted and expanded.

30.04.2025

ROSKOMNADZOR WILL BE ENTITLED TO INDEPENDENTLY BLOCK MIRROR WEBSITES

The Government has approved new rules for recognising a website as a copy (mirror) of a blocked resource. The corresponding decision will now be made by Roskomnadzor, rather than the Ministry of Digital Development. Such document must include, among other things, the domain name of the mirror site and the details of the ruling by the Moscow City Court. The criteria for recognising a website as a copy of a blocked one remain unchanged.

29.04.2025

RUSSIA AND BELARUS TO COOPERATE IN FINANCIAL MARKET SUPERVISION

An Agreement has been ratified between the Russian Government, the Bank of Russia, and the Government of Belarus, along with the National Bank of Belarus, on the exchange of information, including confidential data, in the field of financial market supervision and oversight. This includes supervision over regulated entities, cross-border institutions, and parent organisations, as well as the conduct of joint inspections and the establishment of joint supervisory colleges.

28.04.2025

RULES FOR CALCULATING AND PAYING MANDATORY DEDUCTIONS FOR DISTRIBUTING ADVERTISING ON THE INTERNET HAVE BEEN PROPOSED

From April 1, 2025, mandatory deductions to the budget in the amount of 3% of quarterly income from the distribution of online advertising aimed at the Russian consumer have been introduced. They are aimed at supporting copyright holders of computer programs and databases, as well as the devlopment of information resources, the list of which is established by the Government of the Russian Federation.

It is planned to determine the procedure for calculating and paying the specified amounts, monitoring the completeness and timeliness of their payment. The income to be taken into account and the deadline for paying deductions will be established. The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media will be responsible for monitoring.

25.04.2025

ON STATE RECORDING OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

The list of greenhouse gases, emissions of which are subject to state recording, has been updated. The conversion factors for emissions into carbon dioxide equivalents (over a 100-year horizon) have been revised. The chemical formula has been changed for certain gases. Perfluorocyclopentene has been included into the list instead of perfluorocyclopropane.

Conversion factors for certain greenhouse gases have been established for regional regulated organisations during the experiment to limit emissions in certain regions.

24.04.2025

REGIONS WILL BE ABLE TO BUY LAND PLOTS FROM UNFINISHED BUILDINGS WITHOUT BIDDING

The adopted amendments are aimed at solving the problem of a large number of multi-apartment residential buildings, the construction of which was stopped due to the bankruptcy of the developers of such facilities. The property rights to the land plots under such objects belong to the public-law company "Fund for Development of Territories" and, in accordance with the law, can be realised exclusively by auction or transferred free of charge to the ownership of the Russian Federation.

The region's right to buy out the Fund's property remaining after compensation has been paid to shareholders has been secured. Such implementation is carried out without tendering on the basis of an agreement between the Fund and the region. The sale price will be determined on the basis of a report from an appraiser hired by the Fund.

23.04.2025

IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO APPROVE CHANGES TO A DRUG TRIAL PROTOCOL IN ELECTRONIC FORM

The procedure for reviewing a message about the need to amend a drug clinical trial protocol has been updated. Starting in 2026, organizations conducting clinical trials must send it through the State Information System in the field of healthcare to the personal account of the Ministry of Health, and before 2026 - by mail on paper. The message is registered within a working day. Within 28 working days, the Ministry of Health makes a decision on amending the protocol or refusing to do so and sends it to the applicant's personal account in the State Information System.

To assess the validity of the proposed changes and determine the degree of risk to patients participating in clinical trials, the Ministry of Health may, within 3 working days after receiving the message, send a request and involve experts from the ethics council and the budgetary institution in its review, who should submit a conclusion to the Ministry within 20 working days.

22.04.2025

IT IS BEEN ESTABLISHED HOW THE NUMBER OF USERS OF AD SERVICES AND MARKETPLACES FOR PLACING SOCIAL ADVERTISING WILL BE DETERMINED

Distributors of advertising on the Internet, owners of ad services and aggregators of information about goods (services) with an audience of more than 200 thousand users per day are required to distribute social advertising on their resources (services, aggregators) free of charge. Roskomnadzor has established a method for determining the number of users of information resources per day.

The number of users per day to be determined on the basis of publicly available information contained on the Internet.

21.04.2025

AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TO PROHIBIT THE IMPOSITION OF ADDITIONAL GOODS AND SERVICES ON CONSUMERS

Amendments to the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights will be introduced from September 1, 2025.

Sellers are prohibited from placing automatic marks on the consumer's consent to the purchase of additional goods, works or services, as well as creating conditions that presuppose the consumer's initial consent to such a purchase.

18.04.2025

BAN ON USING FOREIGN SOFTWARE IN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS NO LONGER UNCONDITIONAL

From January 1, 2025, government authorities and customers are prohibited from using foreign software on significant critical information infrastructure facilities owned by them, unless otherwise provided by federal law.

17.04.2025

NIZHPHARM JOINT STOCK COMPANY HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED UNDER TEMPORARY MANAGEMENT

Shares of the joint stock company "Nizhny Novgorod Chemical and Pharmaceutical Plant" owned by Nidda Lynx S.a.r.l., have been transferred under the temporary management of limited liability company "Farmirus".

16.04.2025

INDIVIDUALS MUST FILE NOTIFICATIONS OF CONTROLLED FOREIGN CORPORATIONS FOR 2024 BY APRIL 30, 2025

The notification of a controlled foreign corporation must be submitted regardless of the financial performance of such foreign company.

If there are grounds for exemption from taxation of profits of such a company, documents confirming compliance with the relevant conditions must also be submitted by April 30, 2025. An exception is a controlled foreign corporation formed in accordance with the legislation of a member state of the EAEU and having a permanent location in it.

If there are no grounds for exemption from taxation of the profits of a controlled foreign corporation, it is necessary to submit documents confirming the amount of its profit or loss. This must also be done before April 30 (along with the notification of a controlled foreign corporation), regardless of the existence of an obligation to pay income tax on the controlled foreign corporation.

A taxpayer is subject to a fine of 500 thousand roubles for failure to submit a notification of a controlled foreign corporation.