Is Russia turning into a "hard authoritarian" state?

You don't file your taxes, but for great great majority of Russians income tax is flat 13%. Everybody knows that.

But there are deductions to healthcare funds, social security funds, etc. which when taken together amount to additional 30%. De jure they are deducted from your employer, not you. Effectively, this is a tax on your salary.

Then there's VAT, fuel tax, excise tax, and so on. When you combine all these together, you end up with virtually the same tax revenue as a fraction of economy as in the US.

however Russia is really free country, you literally allowed so much more than in US and have a lot less restrictions.

If you mean shooting endangered animals, punching people in the face, and parking on the curb, those freedoms have been severely eroded in the last 10 years or so. If you are a son of an MP, then probably still yes. If you are an ordinary Russian, I'd think twice.

/r/AskARussian Thread Parent