The Free Port of Vladivostok. Special Investment Regime

The Free Port of Vladivostok Special investment regime

January 2016 On 13 July 2015, Federal Law #212-FZ The territory of the Free Port "On the Vladivostok Free Port" (hereinafter, the Free Port) was signed and published. Under the law, The municipalities of the Primorsky Territory that are part the city of Vladivostok and 15 surrounding municipalities of the territory of the Free Port are: received the status of a free port for 70 years. This status puts in place a special customs, taxation and investment regime.

Primorsky Territory

Khanka Pogranichny Spassk-Dalny October Olginsky Ussuriysk Partizansk Bolshoi Partizansky Nadezhda Kamen Shkotovsky Artem Nakhodka Vladivostok Legend: Khasan City dictrict Municipal Area

+ seaports, including their designated water areas located within the territory of these municipalities

The free port of Vladivostok cannot include any territories that are already sites for special economic zones, territories of advanced social and economic growth or territorial development zones.

2 Benefits for residents of the Free Port To apply for the profit tax incentive, the resident must receive 90% of its revenue from activity in the Free The following benefits are provided for residents: Port and maintain a separate accounting of revenues (expenses). • A free customs zone – duty- and tax-free import, storage and consumption of foreign goods; duty- Requirements to become a resident and tax-free import and export of equipment; • Reduced regressive social insurance contributions rate An organization may become a resident of the Free Port for 10 years*: by meeting all of the following requirements: - 7.6% on annual remuneration up to RUB 718k (approx. USD 10k); • To be registered as a legal entity in the territory of the - 6.5% on annual remuneration between RUB 718k Free Port; and RUB 796k (approx. USD 10.7k); • Not to have branches, representative offices and - 0.1% on annual remuneration exceeding RUB 796k. separate subdivisions outside of the territory of the • Simplified visa procedures – visas for foreign citizens Free Port; entering the Russian Federation for visits of up • Not to be a party to a consolidated group of to 8 days can be issued at the border; taxpayers, a participant of a special economic zone, a • Decrease in administrative procedures – regional investment project or territories of advanced "single window" system; social and economic growth; • Legal protection — the management company of • To plan to implement a new investment project or a the Free Port has the right to represent and protect new business activity which has not been carried out residents in court; earlier; • Tax incentives; • To plan to make capital expenditures of at least RUB 5 • Other benefits. million within a term not exceeding three years from its registration as a resident of the Free Port; * The relevant caps are effective in 2016 and subject to • Not to participate in oil and natural gas extraction, annual increase. Organizations working in the financial, administrative activities (various activities to support insurance, wholesale and retail industries cannot be the core business) and related additional services granted reduced social insurance contribution rates. (except for rental and leasing of water transport, etc.), or the production of excisable goods (except for the Tax incentives production of automobiles, etc.).

Residents can apply for: The process of becoming a resident

• Declarative procedure for VAT refund. The process of becoming a resident involves a system • Profit tax rate reduction from 20% to 0%** for of pre-approval and requires a business plan*** to be the first 5 years after the resident gets a taxable profit prepared and an agreement to be concluded with and to 12% for the following 5 years; the management company. After the conclusion of • Property tax exemption for a period of five years the investment agreement, the organization within from the month following the month the property is 5 working days is included in the registry and obtains recognized on the balance sheet of an organization. resident status. According to Russian legislation, Residents will also be entitled to a reduced tax rate of the organisation may receive a resident status within 0.5% over the next five years. 12 weeks after submission of application and investment documents. ** Organizations working in the financial, insurance, wholesale and retail industries cannot be granted profit *** Formal requirements for the business plan and tax rate reduction. the criteria for its evaluation are similar to those already applied in the implementation of investment projects in other regions.

The Free Port of Vladivostok Special investment regime 3 Contacts

Should you have any questions on any issues covered in this guide, please email or call your tax consultant or Vasily Markov, Director, who leads the Research & Development and Government Incentives programme in Russia.

Vasily Markov Anna Vorontsova Natalia Vagina Director Manager Consultant Head of R&D and Government R&D and Government Incentives Group R&D and Government Incentives Group Incentives Group Tax & Legal Services Tax & Legal Services Tax & Legal Services +7 (495) 787 06 00 (ext. 1371) +7 (812) 703 71 06 (ext. 2582) +7 (812) 703 71 06 (ext. 2556) +7 (910) 499 84 01 +7 (911) 218 59 07 +7 (911) 840 80 77 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

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