The State Bureau of Investigations (SBI), as part of the enactment of the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) on the imposition of personal special economic and other restrictive measures (sanctions), after a joint selective analysis of separate importing firms with the State Tax Service, revealed facts of manipulation of tax reporting.

"It was found that business entities imported goods and sold them in Ukraine, but did not reflect the relevant information in tax accounting. A re-grading scheme was used: when the goods were purchased according to one nomenclature, and sold according to another. At the same time, business entities brought imports into shadow circulation, selling goods for cash, and tax liabilities – VAT, were transferred for money to other legal entities involved in the so-called 'twisting'," the SBI press service said.

According to the investigation, only from January to March 2021, goods worth UAH 1.6 billion were sold in this way, which caused damage to the state in the amount of more than UAH 270 million.

"The analysis of financial transactions of importers helped to identify companies that concentrated financial flows and, according to the established schemes, got out of the tax burden. Now the activities of other business entities that are involved in large-scale financial manipulations are being studied," Acting Director of the SBI Oleksiy Sukhachov said.

The State Tax Service has terminated the registration of invoices for the said business entities.

Investigation is ongoing.