Taxation of personal income in the context of issues of social fairness

Abstract

The subject. The leading position of the personal income tax in most countries is due to a number of circumstances. First, it is a personal tax, the object of which is the income actually received by the payer, and not the estimated average income that could be received in specific economic conditions. Second, income tax allows to maximize the implementation of the basic principles of taxation - universality and uniformity. In recent decades, national regimes of personal income taxation regimes have been actively developed both in foreign countries and in Russia. Purpose of the study. The article shows the results of analysis of the framework of personal income taxation in the Russian Federation in the context of the principle of the social fairness. Dealing with selected provisions of the national legislation of European countries and Russia the article shows that elements of progressive taxation can be applied only in particular aspects. The proposals of taxation of rich taxpayers are also brought into light. Methodology. The research was carried out with the application of the formally legal interpretation of legal acts as well as the comparative analysis of Russian and European legal literature. Structural and systemic methods are also the basis of the research, The main results. After studying the European experience of personal income taxation the authors come to the conclusion that some of the ideas described can be transferred to the Russian tax legislation, but this should be done with caution. It is not necessary to introduce a progressive tax system in its pure form in the Russian Federation, but it is worth considering options for switching to a dualistic system. The authors believe that the elements of borrowing foreign experience should be aimed rather at a fair distribution of benefits, for example, through rules that fix tax benefits. Conclusions. The following proposals can be formulated to improve the legal regulation of personal income taxation in the Russian Federation: the distinction between taxation of taxpayers with ultra-high incomes and those with minimal incomes should be based not on the income criterion, but on the expenditure criterion; to establish a non-taxable minimum in the amount of the minimum wage, which will ensure tax fairness for taxpayers with lower-average incomes; to review the criteria of taxation of luxury vehicles, raising the border separating the mass and premium segments of the Russian car market by at least two times - up to 6 million rubles. The best solution would be to abolish the vehicle tax and impose an increased excise tax on fuel and lubricants for personal transport.