AUB News

On August 21, 2025, the Association of Ukrainian Banks organized a webinar on the topic: “Current issues in taxation for financial institutions: practice, risks, explanations.” The event was held online on the Zoom platform as part of a meeting of the AUB Committee on Accounting, Auditing, and Taxation.
Representatives of financial institutions, legal departments, and accounting services took part in the event. The discussion focused on current issues of tax regulation, the risks of double taxation, and practical aspects of interaction with regulatory authorities.
During the event, the following topics were discussed:

• transactions of financial institutions with counterparties that are individual entrepreneurs and court practice;
• features of payments to non-residents, in particular in the field of IT, VAT, and repatriation tax;
• liability for late notification of account opening;
• the latest tax clarifications and court precedents in the field of banking taxation.

The speakers paid special attention to the risks of cooperation with individual entrepreneurs, which regulatory authorities may classify as hidden employment relationships, and to court practice regarding payments to non-residents in the context of international double taxation agreements.
The experts emphasized the importance of timely notification of tax authorities about the opening of accounts, as even a technical delay can result in penalties. Recent tax audit cases were analyzed, demonstrating the impact of document preparation on the outcome of disputes with regulatory authorities.
Webinar speakers:

• Vitaliy Smerdov — Managing Partner at First Pro Tax Law Firm, Chairman of the Finance and Tax Committee of the South Ukrainian Office of the EBA, Director of the Chamber of Tax Consultants, freelance consultant to the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy;
• Viktoria Vlasenko — lawyer, partner in the tax practice at First Pro Tax, head of tax audits and tax inspection support.

The webinar format included an overview of recent changes in tax legislation, analysis of practical cases and typical mistakes based on audit results, as well as a question and answer session.
The event served as an effective platform for sharing knowledge and experience and provided participants with practical recommendations on how to organize effective work with tax issues in financial institutions.
The Association of Ukrainian Banks thanks the speakers and all participants for their active participation and constructive discussion.