Russia’s Largest Bank Launches New Relief Program for Small Businesses
/ Go to the mediabankSPIEF 2026
/ Go to the mediabank
Sberbank has launched a program that reimburses 50% of the value-added tax (VAT) paid on merchant acquiring services, a targeted measure aimed at supporting small businesses, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board Anatoly Popov said at SPIEF 2026.»We launched a program to reimburse 50% of the VAT paid on merchant acquiring services. In the first quarter alone, 109,000 entrepreneurs from all 89 regions of Russia received support. This quarter, more than 97,000 entrepreneurs have already applied,» Popov said during the session «Small Business Transformation: A New Formula for SME Growth.»He noted that recent tax changes have had a particularly painful impact on small businesses that are not VAT payers, citing family-owned cafés, small shops and craft workshops as examples.»For these businesses, any increase in costs leads either to reduced financial stability or to higher prices,» Popov said.
WorldRussia Considers Keeping Tax Exemption for Small Businesses Unchanged14:34 GMT
