The peculiarities of tax incentives for Industrial and innovative clusters in Russia

Abstract

This article examines the available approaches towards tax incentivization of the activity of subjects in the industrial and innovative clusters. Analysis is conducted on the tax benefits that could be received by the residents of preferential regimes, such as special economic zones, free economic zones, territories of advanced socioeconomic development within the framework of membership in the Skolkovo Innovation Center, as well as regime for the participants of innovative scientific and technological centers. The peculiarity this research is that tax incentives are examined from the perspective of their relevance on each stage of the lifecycle of an industrial product and innovation. The author's special contribution lies in the selected approach towards assessment of the effect of preferential tax regimes from the standpoint of the development of industrial and innovative clusters. The main conclusions are as follows: 1. Currently existing territorial regimes of taxation are aimed primarily at attraction of new investments to the Russian regions and include a range of tax support measures effective for the limited period on the first stage of lifecycle of the product or innovation; 2. From the perceptive of stimulation of participation in the industrial clusters, the available preferential regimes contain attractive and essential benefits for manufacturing industrial products, however, traditional regimes, such as special economic zones and territories of advanced socioeconomic development, no longer meet the needs of innovative companies. For stimulation of participation in the innovative clusters, tax regime for the Skolkovo Innovation Center currently seems most attractive. 3. Due to the fact that the existing regimes of special economic zones, free economic zones, territories of advanced socioeconomic development are aimed at the attraction of investment and focused on the first years of implementation of the project. For incentivization of the qualitative development of industrial and innovative clusters it is reasonable to assess the possibility of more even distribution of tax benefits or introduce other long-term methods of support.