Document that nearly led to confiscation of entrepreneur’s goods was not necessary

Entrepreneurs working at Minsk market “Zhdanovichy” found out that the transport invoice the absence of which nearly led to confiscation of goods for the sum of about 100 thousand USD was not necessary. They got to know about it at the meeting with officials from the Ministry of Taxation. Entrepreneurs even went on strike to protect the owner of those goods. It also became known that tax inspectors claimed that they had not checked the market for two years and were going to dedicate the following financial year to it. Let us remind you that the reason for the meeting of entrepreneurs and officials from the Ministry of Taxation was the incident that had taken place at the “Zhdanovichy” market on August 19. Tax inspectors tried to confiscate fur coats and sheepskin coats for the sum of 100 thousand USD from one of the shops there. The reason was the absence of a transport invoice. Colleagues from the neighbouring shops came to help the entrepreneur.

First they hid the woman’s goods in their shops and then about 100 sellers protected her from the inspectors.  On August 20 the civil association of entrepreneurs “Perspectyva” sent an appeal to the Ministry of Taxation of Belarus demanding to organize a meeting with tax inspectors and to explain entrepreneurs what documents they needed for their business.

An entrepreneur Uladzіmіr Kalesnіk told ERB that they had not received any response from the Ministry and talked only on the phone. So they decided to visit the Ministry without an invitation. A delegation of 40 people arrived at the Ministry on the morning of August 21.

Uladzіmіr Kalesnіk: “At first they did not want to talk to us at all. When we came to the Ministry we were sent to some young man who had to write down all our demands. After that they allowed Shumchanka to enter. They talked for 15 minutes and decided to listen to all of us. But they did not want to talk to Shumchanka anymore explaining it by the fact that he was a troublemaker”.

It was very hot and stuffy in the conference hall where the meeting of entrepreneurs with the deputy Minister Alyaksandr Darasheka took place. No one offered the present mineral water but they did not pay attention to such trifles – they wanted the Ministry to announce the exact documents they needed for their work and they needed to find out what documents they did not have to present to tax inspectors. Their hopes were justified.

Uladzіmіr Kaлеснік: “They said there was a moratorium declared for our goods. They will not do anything until they decide what documents are needed and then they will announce it to us”.

Entrepreneurs were promised to get this information in two weeks. However, it turned out that transport invoices the absence of which nearly led to confiscation of one entrepreneur’s goods were not necessary.

Uladzіmіr Kalesnіk: “Inspectors did not know it themselves. Some of them said we had to have them, others claimed that we didn’t, still others said it was good to have them just in case. Finally we found everything out and we know we do not have to present them because a simplified system of taxation had been introduced”.

Entrepreneurs complained that tax inspectors were simply trying to “stifle” them with check-ups. The deputy Minister “set them at ease” saying that it was only the beginning.

Uladzіmіr Kalesnіk: “We were told that they had not checked us for two years and that we were working illegally. So tax inspectors had decided to dedicate this year to “Zhdanovichy”.

“Zhdanovichy” entrepreneurs stopped their strike on Tuesday. Now you can buy fur and sheepskin coats at the trade centre “Light of Fashion” again. However, the pavilion of the woman who was in the centre of the conflict is closed – the woman is still in hospital.