January 29, 2023

Keep Your Taxes to Yourself


Keep Your Taxes to Yourself
Legislator flicking through papers. Website of the Russian State Duma

The Russian parliament has passed a bill that allows legislators to not disclose their tax returns to the public (otherwise known as their employers).

After Russia invaded Ukraine, many branches of the Russian government blocked access to data on their work and finances, and not just military-related bodies. As part of this trend, members of parliament were exempted from disclosing their monetary gains in 2022.

On January 25, the State Duma announced that it would not publish members' tax information. Pavel Krasheninnikov, Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma on State Building and Legislation, who co-authored the bill, made it clear that the only information that would be provided is an overall statistic of all members' financial information.

The State Duma website quotes Krasheninniknov, saying that the law is meant to protect legislators' data. However, in the same article, the motive behind concealing information is attributed to "typos, misprints, or errors [that] turn into the reason for the loss of [legislators'] authority." When discussing the legislation with Komsomolskaya Pravda, Krasheninnikov changed his tune: "Not everyone is interested in this(...) It's laziness."

Of course, transparent tax information, some would argue, is a helpful safeguard against corruption.

The law will take effect on March 1.

 

 

You Might Also Like

Eat. Bake. Protest.
  • January 25, 2023

Eat. Bake. Protest.

How a woman from Moscow turned a cake business into an anti-war protest and helped charities.
Memes For Our Times

Memes For Our Times

We explain ten recent memes that best capture the current sociopolitical mood across a large subset of Russian society.
Russia in 2022
  • December 23, 2022

Russia in 2022

In which we look back at Russia's performance in 2022.
Political Trade Offs
  • October 26, 2001

Political Trade Offs

Russia deserves concessions from the US in return for its support regarding Afghanistan and other issues.  Should Putin have secured this political payments up front?  What, if anything, will he take home from the November summit?
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955