A lawyer specializing in civil and international law, Maria Yarmush, in an interview with RT commented on the information that blogger Anastasia Ivleeva is being checked by the tax service based on police materials.
According to her, the Federal Tax Service has the authority to conduct on-site tax audits in relation to any legal entity in order to assess compliance with tax legislation.
“Indeed, this party made an impression on many and left an unpleasant aftertaste, and therefore complaints began to arrive. This is normal, legal activity of the Federal Tax Service, perhaps only slightly accelerated due to public outcry,” Yarmush noted.
She emphasized that if Ivleeva complies with the requirements of Russian tax legislation, the Federal Tax Service inspection should not reveal violations. However, otherwise, as the expert warned, criminal prosecution may follow, similar to cases with other bloggers.
“If they registered as self-employed, received large sums from their activities and distributed the money among their acquaintances, then it is possible that unpaid tax will be assessed. And if guilt is established, criminal measures may be taken against Ivleeva. We’ve seen similar scenarios before. We cannot say that this is persecution, this is the usual work of the Federal Tax Service,” added RT’s interlocutor.
In conclusion, she added that tax evasion often involves an attempt to launder funds, which is also a criminal offense and can become an additional charge against the blogger.
Source: Rosbalt
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
