SMEs

How to tax small businesses? In recent months, this question has become the centre of heated discussions in Ukraine. The main topic of the discussions is the future of the Simplified System of Taxation, Accounting and Reporting (or Simplified Tax System, STS), which may be reformed as part of the government\'s tax reform.

In February 2015, the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (Kyiv) held its regular quarterly survey of industrial enterprises as a part of its Business Tendency Survey. The respondents were asked a question \"Can your company use the possibility to apply a reduced rate of the single social contribution?\". Let\'s take a look at the results.

According to the Business Tendency Survey, a quarterly survey of industrial enterprises in Ukraine carried out by the Institute for Economic Research and Policy Consulting (Kyiv), the biggest obstacles to production growth in Ukraine in May 2015 were low demand, liquidity problems, excessive taxation, and unstable political situation.

Unlike in the EU, where SMEs are among Horizon 2020 priorities, in Ukraine the role of SMEs in innovation and S&T development is underestimated on the policy making level.

Ukrainian SMEs are poorly represented in the European market and do not expect any significant benefits from the free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU. At the same time, they are relatively less afraid of the possible negative consequences of trade liberalization with the EU.