Shadow Gas Stations Cost the Budget Billions: How the State Will Strengthen the Fight.

According to inkorr.com: The fuel market in Ukraine remains a center of shadow practices that incur billions of losses to the state budget every year. Illegal gas stations, fictitious receipts, and shadow salaries are just a few problems the state is trying to tackle. This was reported by the head of the financial committee of the Verkhovna Rada, Danilo Hetmantsev, on his

YouTube channel

Main 'Shadow' Schemes of Gas Stations in Ukraine

Before the start of the full-scale war, the shadow fuel market inflicted about 20 billion hryvnias in losses to the state annually. Hetmantsev noted that among illegal schemes, the following can be highlighted:

• Production of 'bodyagi': manufacturing fuel from gas condensate and chemicals, sold at 'black' gas stations without any documents and tax payment.
• 'Gray' schemes: officially purchased fuel is sold illegally, while fictitious contracts are used in documents to reduce tax obligations.
• Manipulations with receipts: gas station employees offer customers not to take receipts, which are then used to falsify reports.
• Salaries in envelopes: the average salary in the industry is 24 thousand hryvnias, but at some gas stations, only 15 thousand is officially paid, the rest is given 'in an envelope'.

Every day, a person arrives at gas station employees to 'buy back' the receipts you haven't taken, and then these are added to the companies' reports to reduce taxes

Such abuses allow businesses to artificially inflate expenses and evade tax payments.

State Measures Against Shadow Schemes at Gas Stations

The state intends to decisively fight the shadow market. In 2024, the budget received an additional 5.7 billion hryvnias in taxes, and in 2025 – another 1.3 billion, in particular due to the growth of income tax by 35.8%. However, the problem remains relevant: according to the Gas Association, there are 428 illegal gas stations operating in Ukraine. Hetmantsev emphasized that market control should be strengthened by the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), the National Police, and the State Tax Service.

Financial instability and the growing budget deficit in Ukraine put even greater demands on the effectiveness of combating shadow practices. The results of state measures in this area can significantly improve the budget filling situation and ensure fair conditions in the fuel market. It is important that control over gas stations becomes not only strict but also systemic, as only then can sustainable industry development be achieved.