The new Guidelines have undergone very few changes compared to the previous year’s version. Among the updates and additions to the document, the following can be noted:
1. A clarification that military personnel and other individuals who, at any time since the beginning of the special military operation (not only during the reporting period), have taken part in it or directly carried out related tasks in the territories of the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporizhzhia Region, Kherson Region, and Ukraine, are not required to submit information on income, expenses, assets, and property-related liabilities (hereinafter – income and asset information) during the current declaration campaign;
2. A list of the most commonly used documents (information sources) recommended for completing the declaration (full title: Declaration of Income, Expenses, Assets, and Property-Related Liabilities; hereinafter – the declaration). For example, to complete the “Income Information” section, the Guidelines recommend using the personal income tax certificate and the pension/social benefits statement (including temporary disability benefits), which can be accessed via the taxpayer's personal online account (and for the latter – also on the official website of the Russian Pension and Social Insurance Fund), as well as a bank statement on account transactions;
3. A note that Russian legislation does not allow the declaration to be signed by anyone other than the public official (employee) submitting it;
4. A recommended procedure for cases when a public official (employee) is unable to submit income and asset information due to circumstances beyond their control, along with a reference to additional analytical materials published by the Ministry of Labor on this issue;
5. A reminder that it is not acceptable for the auto-generated print date that appears in the bottom-right corner of each page of the declaration (when completed using the “Spravki BK” software) to be earlier than the reporting date shown on the title page or later than the date certifying the accuracy and completeness on the final page;
6. A clarification on how to report income for self-employed individuals, in particular that, under the automated simplified taxation system (AutoSTS), the “income” should reflect the total amount received (regardless of the tax base) during the tax periods of the reporting year. Public officials (employees) may also provide written explanations regarding income from entrepreneurial activity (earned by themselves or family members) and attach these to the declaration;
7. A specification that the following should not be included in the “Income Information” section:
- Digital currency obtained through mining: although under Russian law such currency is considered income in kind, it must be reported under the “Digital Currency” subsection of the “Property Information” section of the declaration;
- Income from the sale of foreign currency;
8. A clarification regarding the categories of individuals who are not required to complete the “Expense Information” section under any circumstances, namely:
- Individuals entering public service (or employment);
- Public officials (employees) transferring from positions that do not require the submission of income and asset information to positions that do;
- Individuals elected as members of municipal representative bodies or as deputies of a legislative body of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation who perform their duties on a non-permanent basis – provided the declaration is submitted within four months from the date of election or from receiving a vacant mandate;
9. A note that, in the “Vehicles” subsection of the “Property Information” section, the type, make, model, and year of manufacture of the vehicle must be entered according to official documents (e.g., the vehicle passport or registration certificate);
10. A clarification that in the “Digital Currency” subsection of the “Property Information” section, the “Date of Acquisition” for digital currency obtained through mining or participation in a mining pool should reflect the date on which the individual (including a mining pool participant) received the currency;
11. A comment that although electronic payment tools (EPTs) may be listed in information received from tax authorities, they do not need to be included in the “Bank and Other Financial Accounts” section of the declaration;
12. A note that the revocation of a credit institution’s license does not constitute closure of the account; to obtain information on such accounts, officials (employees) are advised to contact the institution under the framework of Bank of Russia Directive No. 5798-U of May 27, 2021, “On the Procedure for Providing Citizens with Information by Credit and Non-Credit Financial Institutions Regarding the Availability of Accounts and Other Data Needed for Submitting Information on Income, Expenses, Assets and Property-Related Liabilities, the Unified Format for Submitting Such Information, and the Procedure for Completing It” (hereinafter – Directive No. 5798-U);
13. A clarification that liquidation of a credit institution means the account is closed; however, in cases of reorganization (merger, acquisition, or transformation), the official (employee) must contact the successor bank or financial institution to obtain account information, in accordance with Directive No. 5798-U.
