The recent decision of the Verkhovna Rada to increase taxes for gas stations caused a wave of discussions among fuel market experts. According to the new legislation, gas stations are required to pay advance income tax payments every month, which can significantly affect their financial activities. This is especially true for discounters that offer lower prices and do not have significant additional revenues, such as the sale of tobacco products or alcohol.
Dmytro Lyushkin, an expert on the fuel market and the founder of the "Prime" logistics group, said in an interview with UNIAN that the new taxes will primarily affect small gas stations, which cannot compensate for additional costs.
"Small gas stations will be forced to include these taxes in the cost of fuel, which will reduce their competitiveness. As a result, they can resort to tricks, such as underfilling fuel or not issuing checks," Lyushkin explained.
According to Lyushkin, in the conditions of new tax requirements, discount gas stations can resort to deceptive schemes in order to maintain a competitive advantage over large chains. One of these schemes is banal underfilling of fuel.
"To pour not a liter, but a hryvnia less - this may seem like a small violation, but on large volumes it allows gas stations to save part of the profit," - explains the expert. He noted that according to the standards, underfilling within 1% is allowed, but the actual figures can reach 5-6%.
Another common method is the use of "left" terminals, when the buyer pays for fuel, and the money goes not to the account of the gas station, but to a third-party company.
The new tax burden on the fuel market, according to experts, brings fuel prices at discounters closer to the level of large chains. This may lead many consumers to choose better-known brands, even if the price of their gas stations is slightly higher.
