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IMF Staff Papers Logo    Last updated: April 2005
Volume 52, Number 1
 
VAT Design and Energy Trade: The Case of Russia and Ukraine
Clinton R. Shiells

Full Text of this Article (PDF 112K)

Abstract: Given the substantial rents involved in oil and gas trade and the incentives for noncooperative behavior, Russia and Ukraine have chosen to deviate from standard tax considerations, which suggest the use of a destination-based value-added tax (VAT) regime. Oil and gas trade is a major source of Russian tax revenue, which is collected partly through an origin-based VAT on energy trade within the Commonwealth of Independent States. This paper shows that, if nondistorting taxes were unavailable, Ukraine would benefit by taxing away the pure profits of the domestic seller of natural gas imports from Russia. The paper also assesses the circumstances under which Ukraine would benefit from simultaneously providing a credit for Russian VAT payments by importers.
[JEL F12, H21, Q43]