Financial Journal

p. 9-21

Authors: Vladimir V. Gromov, Nikolaj S. Milogolov

One of the main goals of the Russian tax policy for recent years is to find some opportunities to reduce the tax burden on small companies. Increase of tax incentives is usually associated with the growth of small business, but the pace of development of this economy sector in Russia is still low and the tax system loses its due degree of simplicity and transparency. Therefore, the subject of the study is the problem of small business taxation in Russia. The article points out that special tax regimes, such as the simplified taxation system and the unified imputed income tax for certain types of activity, have lost their targeted nature to date, since their development has no internal logic and is carried out mainly under the current economic challenges without taking into account the long-term effects of the measures taken. Against this background the purpose of the study is to develop recommendations for improvement of above mentioned special tax regimes. The authors conclude that, on one hand, regular increases in turnover thresholds for the purposes of simplified taxation system is an unpromising tax policy direction and, on the other hand, granting access to the taxation system in the form of a unified tax on imputed income regardless of a taxpayer’s turnover defeats partially the objectives of small business support. In common, this creates the conditions for abuse and therefore requires revision of certain provisions of the Russian tax legislation.

p. 37-50

Authors: Olga V. Bogacheva, Oleg V. Smorodinov

The article focuses on several challenges that OECD countries are currently facing when planning and providing public funding of R&D sphere. These issues are analyzed within more general framework — increase of efficiency of public spending of R&D and Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) sector as a whole. The authors examine application of public R&D funding based on socio-economic classification (Frascati Manual 2015), optimal choice of forms and instruments of R&D public funding, which is linked with desired outputs and socio-economic outcomes, and methodologies of efficiency evaluation of public funding of R&D in OECD. Moreover, the authors draw the conclusion about marked extension of the list and variety of forms, methods and instruments of R&D public funding after 2007-08 global financial crisis. In addition to traditional institutional (block grants) and project financing, new form — Research Excellence Initiative (REI) — has evolved. It combines features of institutional core funding (longtermed, program format, etc.) with competitive organization and outcome orientation. It is especially efficient and effective when the focus is made on exceptional quality of research, interdisciplinary and multi-university studies. Integration of performance budgeting elements in institutional funding (e.g., performance contracts) is another noticeable trend in the evolution of public financing in OECD countries during the last decade. At the same time, the certain limits of project-based financing and application of competitive mechanisms in organization of R&D public funding became more evident, because of shorter terms and more risks associated with such projects. One more conclusion refers to wider application of holistic approach to efficiency evaluation of R&D public funding in OECD countries, when efficiency is evaluated at every stage of R&D process. Results of the research can be used in spending reviews in R&D or STI area as well as in recommendations for increasing efficiency of public governance of these areas.

p. 65-80

Authors: Samvel S. Lazaryan, Ivan V. Nikonov, Anton I. Votinov, Ekaterina A. Gubkova

According to a range of theoretical studies, implementation of fiscal rules implying numerical limits on fiscal aggregates has some advantages over the discretionary measures. Thus, their use leads to the improvement in deficit management and to the increase of macroeconomic stability. Moreover, recent empirical studies on the effect of fiscal rules support the theory. Namely, their use has a positive influence on long-term economic growth and government finances. At the same time, actual experience with fiscal rules has not always been successful, therefore, the rules were exposed to frequent changes and improvements. The article discusses the evolution of the worldwide approaches to elaborate a system of fiscal rules. The main stages of their development are highlighted and the reasons for the observed modifications in fiscal rule framework are analyzed. To characterize the recent tendencies in fiscal rule design the data of international institutions, e.g. International Monetary Fund and World Bank, as well as the national legislation of the countries applying fiscal rules are used. The research shows the increasing popularity of expenditure growth rules tending to be applied in combination with debt and budget balance rules. The complication of debt rules is also registered. The other notable finding is the expanding use of the rules that incorporate an adjustment for economic cycles, which shows the governments’ endeavor to conduct countercyclical fiscal policy. In addition, the rules has become more flexible due to the introduction of escape clauses and autocorrection mechanisms. Finally, the control over compliance with the prescribed limits has become more stringent.

p. 96-108

Authors: Svetlana V. Krivoruchko

Central banks around the world issue banknotes of large face value in response to demand from the public. Understanding of the nature of the cash need in the context of banknotes gradation is very important for predicting their effective emission, not allowing banknotes excess or deficit. Therefore, the aim of this work is to identify the main monetary and non-monetary factors in formation of demand for large face value banknotes, based on the study of the global experience in optimization of the cash circulation structure. The analysis is based on a comparison of the conversion rates of large banknotes in different countries and the factors affecting them. It has been revealed that in countries with high level of economy large banknotes are used to a greater extent as a means of savings, which increases in the period of almost zero interest rates, compared to other countries with less stable currencies, where central banks support higher interest rates. For countries with depreciation of national currency consistent increase in the face value of the largest banknote is typical, while demand on small face value decreases. In the history of monetary circulation reforms in some countries there have been cases of sudden cancellation or replacement of large face values in order to force people to withdraw cash from their stocks, as well as to confiscate illegal wealth. Waiting for such actions from government can distort the demand in cash. The attribution of the national currency to the list of world reserve currencies also stimulates the demand for banknotes of large face value, in particular because such currencies are in use in other countries along with local currencies and are used not only for saving as a “stronger” currency, but also for payments and settlements in large transactions, especially in the shadow economy. Optimization of the cash structure can significantly reduce the costs of circulation. The state can stimulate or weaken the demand for large face values. The fight against corruption with established barriers to illegal trade and trafficking justifies the efforts of some jurisdictions to remove very large banknotes from circulation. At the same time, it is extremely important to ensure transparency and timely notification of the public of making such decisions.

p. 122-130

Authors: Igor E. Mizikovsky

Comprehensive implementation of the planning and accounting function is the primary task of the modern enterprise of the manufacturing industry. Rational use of resources radically changes the strategy of the enterprise, which is of particular importance in modern terms, when the most important is the permanent cost reduction, ensuring compliance with the economically justified resource saving mode. People need a modern method of planned calculation of production cost (work, services), functionally oriented to the rational use of production resources in all processes of the value stream. Thus, the aim of the study is to develop the above methodology, the most “deployed” in the direction of information requests for effective management. The author’s observations of phenomena and processes in a number of manufacturing enterprises, their systematization and classification, system analysis, the use of structural-substrate and process approaches, measurement and results’ synthesis allowed to develop a modern methodology of planned calculation integrated into the information method part of an enterprise.