Tax authorities began to fine travelers for non-payment of the resort fee
“Letters of happiness”, that is, fine receipts from the Federal Tax Service in the amount of 5 thousand rubles were received by some tourists for non-payment of the resort fee.
This information was reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR).
The reasons for non-payment are different. Some pretended not to know about this requirement, some thought the fee was included in the tour price.
There were scandalous situations with “benefactors” who were exempt from collection, but did not confirm this with documents.
The tourist is “vulnerable”: hotels and sanatoriums have passport data of tourists and residence address, so there is a technical possibility to provide trouble to “dodgers”.
Of course, there will be hotels that will not complain about “dodgers”. But if tourists too demonstratively refused to pay, there is a possibility that they will be put on the “black list” of defaulters for processing a fine, and upon returning home they will receive a letter from the tax office.
The resort fee itself is now in question - Sergei Mironov, head of the faction "Fair Russia" in the state Duma called this experiment unsuccessful.
“The collection only causes discontent both citizens and business representatives ... Revenues of regions from the introduction of the resort fee are incomparable with image losses. Quasianalogue only reduces the attractiveness of domestic resorts in comparison with foreign ones.”
Travelers are forced to shorten their stay in order not to pay extra money or move to the “gray” sector, which tour operators often complained about. The authorities of the regions also understand the disadvantage of the tax - in the Altai Territory they raise the question of its expediency, and in the Crimea they did not introduce it.
S. Mironov is sure that “the Crimean authorities did the right thing”, as the state of the infrastructure does not allow it to be charged.
Sergei Mironov is confident that the state should develop domestic resorts, and it is unacceptable to pass these costs on to citizens, they do not need this, they would rather go to Turkey.
Source: tourprom