The recent decision of the Verkhovna Rada to increase taxes for gas stations has caused a wave of discussion among fuel market experts. According to the new legislation, gas stations are required to pay advance income tax contributions every month, which may significantly affect their financial activities. This is especially true for discounters who offer lower prices and do not have significant additional income, such as the sale of tobacco products or alcohol.
Fuel market expert and founder of the Prime logistics group of companies, Dmitry Lyushkin, said in an interview with UNIAN that the new taxes will primarily affect small gas stations that 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 may resort to tricks such as underfilling or not issuing checks,” explained Leushkin.
According to Lyushkin, under the new tax requirements, discount gas stations may resort to fraudulent schemes to maintain a competitive advantage over large chains. One such scheme is the banal underfilling of fuel.
“Pouring not a liter, but one hryvnia less may seem like a small violation, but in large volumes it allows gas stations to keep part of the profit,” the expert explains. He noted that according to the standards, underfilling is allowed within 1%, but 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 gas station’s account, but to a third-party company.
The new tax burden on the fuel market, experts say, is bringing fuel prices at discounters closer to those of large chains. This may force many consumers to choose better-known brands, even if the price at their gas stations is slightly higher.
