Herald

Business in 2026: an overview of key changes

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Image: Freepik.com
In 2026, the Russian business will continue to operate in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Companies will face a higher tax burden, tightening control over labeled products, changes in the rules of tax audits and strengthening the sanctions regime.
Companies will have to adapt to new requirements, create stricter processes for screening counterparties and increase resistance to regulatory, sanctions and operational risks.
We have collected key innovations that come into force in 2026.

Tax reform

  • increase in VAT rate to 22%
From January 1, 2026, the basic VAT rate increases from 20% to 22%.
The reduced rates remain unchanged.
  • reducing the income limit for simplified tax system and patent tax system
The changes affect organizations and individual entrepreneurs using simplified tax system. Income limits, the excess of which leads to the obligation to pay VAT, will be gradually reduced.

YearLimit VAT liability arises
2026RUB 20 millionIf income for 2025 exceeded the limit - from January 1, 2026. If income exceeds the limit during 2026 - from the 1st day of the next month. From the 1st day of the month following the month when income exceeded the established limit
2027RUB 15 millionAnalogous
2028RUB 10 millionAnalogous
Significant changes also affected the patent tax system (PTS).
From January 1, 2026, the maximum income that allows an individual entrepreneur to apply a patent is reduced from the current 60 million RUB to 20 million RUB per year.
If from the beginning of the calendar year the income of the individual entrepreneur exceeds the established limit, the right to apply the patent is automatically lost, and the entrepreneur is obliged to switch to another tax regime from the month following the month of excess.
  • social insurance premiums: cancellation of benefits for SMEs
Since 2026, for most SMEs, the reduced premium rate (15%) has been canceled.
Now SMEs are required to apply general tariffs:
• 30% - within the limit (RUB 2,979,000 per employee);
• 15.1% - over the limit.
The reduced tariffs in 2026 will remain for IT companies and priority industries (the list will be approved by the Government of the Russian Federation):
• IT companies: the rate is 15% within the marginal base and 7.6% above it;
• manufacturing enterprises: a rate of 7.6% over payments of 1.5 minimum wages (as in 2025);
• enterprises of the radio-electronic industry: 0% tariff from 2026.
The benefit is retained only for companies from the list of priority industries (if the corresponding OKVED code is the main one, and the share of income for this type of activity is at least 70%).
  • social insurance premiums for individual entrepreneurs:
- fixed contributions: RUB 57,390
- 1% of additional payments on income over RUB 300,000; limit: RUB 321,818.
Globas provides the opportunity to obtain complete information about the counterparty's taxes and fees, analyze the application of special tax regimes, track changes in the tax burden over the years, and conduct a comprehensive assessment of its financial stability.

Tax registration: a new order

From January 1, 2026, the procedure for confirming the registration of an organization with the tax authorities is changing.
The following will be cancelled:
  • certificate of tax registration;
  • notification of tax registration;
The supporting documents will be as follows:
  • extract from the Unified State Register of Taxpayers (EGRN) - contains information on tax registration (or deregistration)
  • extract from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL) - contains information on registration at the place of location of the organization or its divisions.
All documents issued before January 1, 2026 continue to be valid. If the registration process was initiated, but not completed before January 1, 2026, the tax authority will issue an extract from the EGRN.
In the company's profile in Globas, there is a Registration history section, which allows you to track all changes in registration data. If necessary, you can order an extract on submitted applications to the EGRUL according to forms P11001-P18001.

Tax audits: new rules

Since 2026, the Federal Tax Service will get the expanded powers.
What changes from January 1, 2026:
  • the tax authorities will be able to inspect the premises and seize documents as part of additional measures
  • the reporting periods of the current year can be checked during the field inspection, if they are completed at the decision date
  • any authorized Federal Tax Service will be able to conduct a desk audit
What changes from September 1, 2026:
  • verification materials can be considered by video conference
  • a new procedure for filing objections is introduced: in person, by mail, by telecommunication channels or through the personal account (FTS/Gosuslugi)
  • an upper limit is introduced to reduce the fine under extenuating circumstances - no more than 10 times.
A new section for analyzing the risks of field tax inspections has been developed in Globas.
This tool is based on the Concept of the system for planning field tax inspections developed by the Federal Tax Service and allows:
• check the tax burden, profitability and financial status of the company;
• learn about frequent changes in tax authorities and about reaching the maximum values for special tax regimes;
• identify deviations in wages from industry averages;
• identify the discrepancy between the growth rates of expenses and income;
• identify tax risk in the nature of financial and economic activities;
• receive information about account blocking indicating the reason for the suspension.
If your counterparty is at risk, you may also be subject to field tax inspection.
In Globas you can timely identify such links and avoid the consequences.

Marking and strengthening of control in the "Honest SIGN" system

The reasons for refusal to register goods have been expanded:
  • non-conformity of USAIS/VIS data
  • excess of production volume by more than 5%
New product groups under the label:
  • hygienic products,
  • instant drinks,
  • baby products,
  • a number of building materials.
In Globas you can check the organization for its entry into the register of participants in the turnover of goods subject to mandatory labeling.

Turnover of precious metals and stones

Liability for repeated violations related to the turnover of precious metals and stones has been tightened.
Penalties are as follows:
  • up to RUB 160,000 for individual entrepreneurs,
  • up to RUB 300,000 for the legal entities.
In Globas you can check the organization for its entry into the Register of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs engaged in operations with precious metals and precious stones. The register is maintained by the territorial bodies of the Federal Assay Office in order to carry out targeted control over the compliance of controlled objects with the requirements of the legislation on PMPS and AML/CFT.

Sanctions and counter-sanctions

The government extended the Special Economic Measures (SEM, Counter sanctions). The restrictions on the import and export of certain types of goods have been extended until December 31, 2027.
A wide group of goods falls under the export ban: industrial and medical equipment, electrical equipment, agricultural machinery, as well as a number of high-tech installations, including turbines and reactor equipment.
Increased duties will continue to apply to the import of certain types of food products and drinks. Such categories include meat and fish products, canned goods, pasta, coffee, beer and other goods.
The list of items allowed for parallel imports has been additionally expanded: it includes sanitary and hygienic goods, certain types of medical equipment, as well as equipment used for testing metals.
The Sanctions Compliance module in Globas provides the ability to check Russian and foreign entities, persons, water and air transport. Persons associated with the companies are also checked: beneficiaries, owners, managers, affiliated companies and subsidiaries. The module contains extensive information about the imposed sanctions and restrictions, including the 50 Percent Rule, screening of goods by code or product name, additional sources and deeper analytics on companies, persons and objects that have fallen under restrictions and in various risk registries.
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Herald

Screening Candidates and Employees: Tools for Reducing HR Risks with Globas

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Image: Freepik.com
Screening candidates at the recruitment stage and regular employee monitoring are an integral part of a modern company's risk management system. This approach allows for the timely identification of potential threats, reduction of the likelihood of HR errors, prevention of conflicts of interest, compliance with legal requirements, and maintenance of the company's business reputation.
HR decisions directly affect the stability of the business: hiring errors can lead to financial losses and reputational risks.

1. Obtaining consent to the processing of personal data and primary identification

Check of candidate must begin with a written consent to the processing of personal data (in accordance with 152-FZ Federal Law). This is not only a legal defense of the company, but also a transparent process of interaction with the candidate.
If the applicant refuses to give consent, this is a serious signal for the employer.
Further the personal identification is carried out:
  • verification of passport data and their validity
  • comparison of the resume data with real information (existing and liquidated companies)
  • check for invalid tax ID or signs of forged documents
Possible negative situations:
  • the applicant provides an invalid passport. This may indicate an attempt to hide the identity or provide fictitious data
  • the applicant declares working for a legal entity which was liquidated some time ago. It is not a direct reason for refusal, but it requires clarification of details: when the person worked there, in what status, who can confirm
  • Mentioning in the resume companies not registered in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities. The reason to doubt the veracity of the resume and work experience
How Globas helps: In Globas, you can check the status of the legal entity, the date of liquidation, the history of changes and possible affiliation with the applicant.

2. Wanted list and involvement in extremist activities

The employer must make sure that the applicant is not wanted and is not involved in illegal activities.
The check is carried out via:
  • the Federal Wanted List of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation
  • search by suspicion of committing crimes
  • search by enforcement proceedings
  • listing in the registers of Rosfinmonitoring (terrorists, extremists, distributors of weapons of mass destruction)
If the applicant is on these lists, it is necessary to issue an official refusal of hiring and notify law enforcement agencies if necessary
  • automatic check of individuals in Rosfinmonitoring lists (exact and possible matches)
  • extracts for the investigated individual from the registers of the Federal Bailiffs Service and the Ministry of Internal Affairs

3. Tax, court debts, fines and state duties

The availability of significant debts is a serious indicator of the financial reliability of the applicant. Special attention should be paid to enforcement proceedings for alimony obligations, tax debts or fines. For example, an applicant with large alimony debts may signal unreliability.
  • extracts on tax, court debts, fines and state duties of an individual
  • check for individual in the Register of Debtors for Alimony Obligations

4. Bankruptcy

According to the 127-FZ Federal Law, citizens declared bankrupt cannot hold managerial positions for:
  • 10 years - in credit institutions
  • 5 years - in insurance and MFOs
  • 3 years - in other commercial organizations
Check is mandatory for management positions.
  • automatic screening of notifications of bankruptcy published in the Unified Bankruptcy Register and Kommersant Newspaper
  • daily data update

5. Participation in legal proceedings - Arbitration Courts and Courts of General Jurisdiction

Check of the judicial history of the applicant is one of the key stages in assessing reliability. It is especially important for employees who will make management decisions, work with finances or represent the interests of the company.
Such an analysis allows to assess the reliability of an individual, identify the judicial risks (for example, the availability of criminal, civil or administrative cases) and prevent potential problems in cooperation, hiring or other interactions. This allows to understand whether the person was a participant in the proceedings as a plaintiff, defendant or third party.
  • to view court cases involving the required person
  • to use filters by case type, region, period, court, status, etc.
  • to view the case file with filed documents to explore the details

6. Self-employment

Despite the popularity of self-employment, the transition of an employee to this status is a risky practice. The Law No. 422-FZ prohibits concluding a civil contract with a person who worked at your company under an employment contract less than two years ago and is now self-employed.
How Globas helps: checking the status of a self-employed person at the time of opening the Person's profile.

7. Conflicts of interest

Conflicts of interest are especially important when making deals. A transaction with a conflict of interest is a transaction with a personal interest, which means increased legal risks and possible damage to the interests of the company.
Examples:
  • the employee makes a decision on the purchase of goods, the exclusive rights to which belong to himself
  • the employee enters into an agreement with a relative registered as an individual entrepreneur
  • the executive leads the company into liquidation in order to create own company and lure clients
  • Links tool to identify direct and indirect affiliations
  • check of intellectual property and participation in the business

8. Sanctions Compliance

When checking applicants, it is important to take into account not only classic legal and financial risks, but also sanctions restrictions.
If it is about hiring to a Russian company, international sanctions regimes may not be directly applied. However, national legislation requires consideration of a number of limitations:
  • lists of foreign agents and links to organizations the activities of which are recognized as undesirable in the territory of the Russian Federation
  • counter-sanction measures established by presidential decrees and decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation
  • financial monitoring requirements within the framework of legislation on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism
Moreover, many organizations have internal corporate policies that provide for:
  • checking persons in the Register of Politically Exposed Persons
  • internal stop lists to minimize reputational and legal threats
How Globas helps: The Sanctions Compliance allows to screen a candidate for all key lists of sanctions compliance: sanctions, terrorists, extremists, foreign agents, PEP, undesirable organizations.

9. Link analysis

An applicant's affiliation with other companies and individuals can pose serious personnel, legal and reputational risks, especially when it comes to hiring for managerial or financially significant positions.
How Globas helps: The Links tool allows you to build interactive graphs of links between objects, identify both direct, indirect and archival links.

10. Monitoring

The check does not end after hiring.
Regular monitoring of employees is a part of systemic personnel security.
  • identification of new established companies or individual entrepreneurs
  • executive disqualification control
  • monitoring of notifications on bankruptcy
  • checking for the multiple executive, shareholder
Checking applicants while hiring and regular monitoring of employees are not a formality, but a key component of the personnel risk management system. This approach helps prevent conflicts of interest, reduce the likelihood of recruiting errors, protect the company's reputation and comply with legal requirements.
Globas provides a set of tools for in-depth and quick check of persons: from basic identification and verification against negative registries to analysis of links and monitoring of changes.
Globas

Globas

Quick check of a business partner, contractor or applicant from reliable sources

Screening is carried out in accordance with the law. Official sources of information are used. An extensive list of parameters is examined: validity of passport and tax number (INN); judicial and extra-judicial bankruptcy; prohibitions and restrictions on business activities; self-employed status; pledges; tax and judicial debts, fines; legal proceedings - Arbitration Courts and Courts of General Jurisdiction; bringing to subsidiary liability; criminal investigation and much more.

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