Minister of Justice of Tatarstan Rustem Zagidullin told about a possible scheme of out-of-court collection of taxes from citizens

The State Duma of the Russian Federation is considering a legislative initiative providing for the introduction of an extrajudicial procedure for the collection of tax debts from individuals for the payment of compulsory payments. This was reported by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Tatarstan Rustem Zagidullin in an interview with the editor-in-chief of the newspaper «Kazanskie Vedomosti».

Previously, this mechanism was used only in relation to organizations, but now it is proposed to extend its application to individuals and the self-employed. Rustem Zagidullin explained that in case of late payment citizens will receive a notice from the tax authority on forced debt collection. The collection decision will be binding, including the possibility of transferring the case to bailiffs, which makes court proceedings an optional step.

Under the proposed changes, the decision of the tax authority will be sent directly to the banks, where the necessary amounts will be debited from the citizen's bank account. If the debt cannot be repaid in this way, the case is transferred to bailiffs, who continue to act within the limits of their authority.

The fundamental principle of the system is the preservation of the possibility of legal proceedings in case of disagreement of the citizen with the amount of the debt.

The Minister also pointed out that last year, magistrates reviewed more than 87 000 cases initiated by tax authorities. He stressed that the initiative had received the support of the Supreme Court, the tax service and the regions. According to him, it is not only about reducing the burden on the judicial system, but also about simplifying the procedure for citizens. «We know that going to court entails the need to pay a state fee, which falls on the shoulders of citizens. In the case of the tax service, this procedure is without additional costs», - explained Rustem Ildusovich. He also stressed that this practice has been used for a long time in relation to legal entities and has shown its effectiveness.