Tax authorities force businesses to pay for war damage certificates: Nova Poshta’s outrage
5 August 09:09
Businesses affected by the shelling and destruction have faced a new challenge: to avoid paying VAT on destroyed property, they now need to obtain a paid certificate from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The business community is deeply concerned about this decision. Inna Khomych, Director of Legal Affairs at Nova Poshta Group, spoke about the new problem for business, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
In the summer of 2024, the tax authorities changed the rules, obliging businesses to obtain paid certificates from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) to be exempt from VAT on destroyed property. This requirement has caused outrage among entrepreneurs, including Nova Poshta, which considers the innovation unfair and makes it difficult to restore business in times of war.
Inna Khomych, Legal Director of Nova Poshta Group, sharply criticized the new policy of the tax service.
“A certificate of war for money? The war causes damage not only to people but also to businesses. As a result of shelling, fires, and destruction, companies lose warehouses, vehicles, equipment, and products. But this is not the end of the difficulties,” she said.
According to her, the tax authorities used to accept alternative documents, such as acts of the State Emergency Service, extracts from registers or photographs, to confirm the destruction of property. Now, however, the only recognized document is a certificate from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is paid for.
“Needless to say, the CCI’s conclusions are not free. This creates a situation where the war-affected business has to spend additional money and time on bureaucracy instead of focusing on recovery,” Khomych added.
“Nova Poshta” has already approached leading business associations with a proposal to start a dialog with the government to solve this problem. The company insists on three key changes:
- Confirm that the CCI certificate is not the only possible document.
- To retain the right to use other evidence in accordance with the current legislation.
- Support the approach that meets the realities of wartime and the logic of justice – the CCI certificate cannot be a mandatory document confirming the destruction of property as a result of hostilities.
Inna Khomych emphasized that this problem goes beyond legal issues.
“This is not just a legal issue. It is about trust, support, and how fair the system is to those who keep the economy going during the war,” she emphasized.
It should be noted that in May and June 2025 alone, four Nova Poshta offices were destroyed or damaged as a result of Russian attacks: in Izmail, Izyum, Odesa, and Zaporizhzhia.
In early July, the Russian invaders attacked the Nova Poshta terminal in the city with Shahed attack drones. The invaders destroyed about 300 parcels.
Also, the Nova Poshta terminal in Sumy was destroyed by a Shahed strike. 2576 parcels that were on the territory of the terminal burned down. The announced value of the lost parcels is over UAH 3.3 million.
By the way, on the night of July 4, during a massive combined Russian attack on Kyiv and the region, several branches and a sorting depot of Nova Poshta were damaged.
Due to the security situation, the company was forced to close its last branch in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, and the legendary branch #4 on Ostrov in Kherson. Until then, it remained the only post office and the only business in the Korabel district, where thousands of people received parcels, medicines and aid.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russians have destroyed 138,000 parcels. The company has paid nearly UAH 134 million in compensation to customers. The cost of restoring the destroyed depots, branches and post offices reached UAH 800 million.
The new policy of the tax service has caused a wave of discontent among the business community, as additional bureaucratic costs complicate an already difficult situation for companies that have suffered losses due to the war.
