Fruit and vegetable growing sector increases sales, but reduces tax payments - Hetmantsev

The fruit industry in 2025 returned to the old schemes and, despite an increase in supply volumes by almost 30%, reduced tax payments, showing an increase of UAH 108.4 million, which is 2.9 times less than last year, Danylo Hetmantsev, chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, reported on Telegram.

Moreover, VAT payments decreased by UAH 42.8 million, the post specifies.

He recalled that in 2024, the fruit industry demonstrated positive dynamics, when production increased, exports increased, and budget revenues increased.

"The total amount of taxes paid by the industry increased by UAH 316 million compared to 2023, of which VAT was + UAH 239.8 million. This indicated a partial withdrawal of the market from the shadows and a transition to transparent activities," the MP emphasized.

He also drew attention to the indicative changes in the level of VAT payment in key areas. For example, in the production of fruit and vegetable juices in 2024 this figure was 3%, and in the current 2025 - 2.22%. Which means a drop of 0.78 percentage points (p.p.) in conditions of increasing sales.

A similar situation, according to Hetmantsev, is with the processing and canning of fruits and vegetables: 2024 - 2.16%, 2025 - 1.41%, a drop of 0.75 p.p., also against the background of increasing volumes.

"In simple words: they sell more but pay less taxes. This does not look like a coincidence, but like a return to old schemes: understating real volumes, fictitious VAT credit, working through individual entrepreneurs, bypassing cash registers," emphasized Hetmantsev.

The head of the parliamentary taxation committee called on the regulatory authorities to answer the question of why the tax burden is falling in the conditions of production growth, and suggested asking whether the budget is losing hundreds of millions of hryvnias again.