OREANDA-NEWS  In the third and final reading, State Duma deputies adopted a law on amendments to tax legislation, which, among other things, provides for an increase in value-added tax (VAT) from 20 to 22 percent. This is reported by TASS.

The tax rate for socially important goods remains at ten percent. For final approval, the document has yet to be adopted by the Federation Council, after which it will be handed over to President Vladimir Putin for signature.

Another important innovation was the gradual lowering of the revenue threshold for small businesses, at which they are exempt from VAT. Starting in 2026, it will drop from 60 million rubles per year to 20 million, and in the next two years to 15 million and 10 million rubles, respectively.

In the first version of the amendments introduced by the Ministry of Finance, the bar was immediately reduced six times to 10 million rubles, but then the agency agreed to slightly relax the requirements.

At the same time, the IT industry has managed to maintain VAT benefits. Otherwise, the software developers pointed out, the total amount of fees would fall, many companies would go bankrupt, and a significant number of specialists would leave the country in search of work.

Earlier, on November 20, the State Duma finally approved the law on the federal budget for 2026 and the planning period 2027-2027. In particular, it stipulates that even taking into account the tax increase, the deficit in the next three years will not fall below three trillion rubles, although it should not rise above four trillion.