Personal income tax: social aspect

In modern conditions that are characterized by financial and economic instability the problem of ensuring the balance of funds coming to budgets of all levels is quite acute. One of the key sources of income of the Russian consolidated budget are the tax payments, among which the personal income tax (PIT) plays an important role. In-come tax in Russia has a fairly long history of formation. Its economic content and implemented functions indicate the high importance of income taxation for the life of society, economic and budgetary systems. There have been studied the current trends in development of taxation of personal income in Russia. It has been stated that in modern conditions there appear more challenges from the world economy and currency market, which may result in personal income tax administration becoming more complicated in Russia. Due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic, imposing the economic sanctions and the general unfavourable macroeconomic situation there have been highlighted the increasing PIT arrears, decreasing tax revenues, a low share of PIT in the consolidated budget and GDP of the Russian Federation. Economic and financial potential of PIT is underutilized in Russia. There has been proposed an approach to changing the tax tools including tax mechanisms that form the level of well-being and development of citizens using a progressive scale of taxation. It is recommended to provide for a change in the PIT depending on the level of citizens’ income and their proximity to the subsistence minimum. This approach will contribute to solving the problems of social inequality, redistributing excess incomes in favor of the least affluent segments of the population, improving the effectiveness of Russia’s social policy in the medium term, and increasing budget revenues