Recently approved amendments to the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, signed by the President, will allow for the introduction of a local tourist tax starting January 1, 2025.
The tax will be established or terminated by regulatory legal acts of local municipal representative bodies, and in federal cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Sevastopol) by the laws of those subjects of the Russian Federation. In the federal territory of "Sirius," the regulatory legal acts will be implemented by its representative body.
The tourist tax is set to replace the resort fee that is currently being trialed in Altai Krai, Krasnodar Krai, and Stavropol Krai, as well as in St. Petersburg, and is expected to conclude in 2024.
The tax will be paid by organizations and individuals providing temporary accommodation services to tourists in lodgings, such as hotels and similar establishments. The tax will apply to the cost of staying in a room.
The minimum tax amount will be 100 rubles per day. Tax rates will not exceed 1% in 2025, 2% in 2026, 3% in 2027, 4% in 2028, and 5% from 2029 onwards, based on the tax base. Additionally, the rates may vary depending on seasonality or hotel category. The tax will not be charged to certain categories of citizens who qualify for exemptions.
The collected funds will go towards local budgets.
Several regions have already expressed interest in implementing the tourist tax. For instance, Alexander Avdeev, the governor of Vladimir Oblast, stated in his Telegram channel that such a tax is essential in Suzdal, a museum city that attracts around 900,000 visitors annually, with approximately 500,000 being tourists whose average visit lasts two days.
"Based on a 100-ruble charge and the annual tourist flow, Suzdal's income could reach 80 million rubles per year. This is a significant sum for a small town, crucial for future developments. For guests, the expenses would be minimal," the governor noted.
He also suggested considering the introduction of the tourist tax in Vladimir and Murom.
In Voronezh Oblast, officials are also looking to gain revenue from the tourist tax. Sergey Korchevnikov, the region's Minister of Entrepreneurship, Trade, and Tourism, mentioned to Interfax that the tax is relatively straightforward: it will be a certain percentage of the accommodation cost, with a minimum of 100 rubles.
"Given that accommodation prices in Voronezh are not very high, we multiply 100 rubles by the number of nights. As a result, our municipalities could receive about 320 million rubles in additional revenue from tourist accommodation. We plan to include this amount in next year's budget as expected revenue," he stated.
Previously, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation indicated that revenue from this tax would be allocated for the construction, repair, and reconstruction of tourism infrastructure. This could include creating parks, renovating walking paths, establishing pedestrian and bicycle routes, building fountains, and more.
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