ECONOMIC ESSENCE AND ROLE OF PROPERTY TAXES IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Introduction. The development of local self-government is one of the important prerequisites for the formation of a democratic state. Effective activity of local self-government bodies is impossible without a sufficient amount of financial resources, which are formed at the expense of the local budget’s own tax revenues. The local taxes and fees are the basis of financial independence of local authorities in the most developed countries of the world, the main among which are considered property taxes. The formation and development of national tax systems takes longer in the most developed countries than in Ukraine, which in its turn, affects the quality of tax legislation and as a consequence is accompanied by a misunderstanding on the part of society’s tax innovations. The construction of the taxation system should be based on the citizens’ awareness of the fiscal importance of property taxes in the formation of the revenue side of the state and local budgets. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the collection of property taxes in Ukraine, research their role in the formation of the revenue side of local budgets and to outline areas for improving property taxes in Ukraine using foreign experience. Results. The general features of the evolution of the property taxation system are considered. It is argued that a key element of the real estate taxation mechanism if the procedure for determining the tax base, which is mostly the valuation of the object. It is necessary to review property tax rates, conduct an inventory and ensure the full functioning of the system of mass registration of real estate, introduce a correction factor to take into account historical, territorial and other characteristics of real estate, increase tax literacy and tax culture of the population. Prospects. The attention will be paid to the differentiation of property tax rates, the feasibility of introducing preferential taxation, the advantages and disadvantages of property taxation and more in further research,.