by Nomad
A recent news story about Russian tax officials and cats as tax dodges exposes a badly-kept secret about the Russian economy. Corruption and widespread tax evasion has made real development next to impossible. The question is now whether Putin is really prepared to risk tackling the problem or not?
When Russian tax collectors demanded that a Novosibirsk resident pay back taxes of about 12,000 rubles or (as of this minute) about $198, he explained the he had no money and no assets for them to take. So, The state
tax officials threatened to seize the man's pedigree cat and its three kittens.
Russians have had to find
creative ways to hide their already dwindling cash reserves. Apparently one
way, tax inspectors claim, is to invest in expensive breeds of cats. According
to the Interfax News agency,
When collection officials arrived at the young man's apartment, they initially found nothing to seize for his tax appears because the man was living with his parents, attended college and had no regular income, the Novosibirsk region's court marshals service was cited as saying in a statement by Interfax."Then a bailiff noticed a beautiful cat that the debtor was holding in his arms, and three small kittens of a British breed that were running around the house," the statement was quoted as saying. "Because the animals are pedigree and expensive, the representative of the law decided to place the cat brood under arrest."
The threat was enough to shake
the loose change from the pet owner's pockets. As the bailiff was filling out
the seizure order, the man unexpectedly found the money to pay his debt.
