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Video bloggers can be obliged to receive “permission” to blog in Russia

Chairman of Russian State Duma committee on economic policy, innovative development and entrepreneurship Anatoly Aksakov (from political party “Fair Russia”) has proposed to tax a video bloggers.

What he proposed to do? There are people who place or upload a video content in different internet online platforms or web-site or make online translation. Sometimes, when video or translation is popular or very interesting a blogger can make money on advertisement. The more popular videos or interesting translations, the more followers and viewers the more money thanks to advertisement. Do the bloggers pay taxes from these revenues? Only such people, e.g. video-bloggers or streamers, know it exactly. Anatoly Aksakov wants to make them pay income taxes.

According to his idea, each video blogger must obtain patent, it is not related to intellectual property, it is some kind of permission allowing doing what you did do earlier but with notification of relevant authorities, including taxation department. “The issue with so called streamers or those, who make money on posting of video content in internet, must be regulated. Quite possible we need some kind of register of such persons who is blogging. Federal Taxation Service must be responsible for maintaining of such registry, I believe. It is its competence.” – said Aksakov.

He also mentioned that Russian state duma is ready to work on subject to develop a mechanism of patents allowing people to blog. “It is “black market” and it can be used for purposes of fraudulent activity”, – believes Aksakov. Opportunity of video-bloggers to sell advertisement attracts Aksakov’s attention. He, like professional marketer, wants to monetize blogging in Russia on behalf of Russian state. He believes bloggers don’t pay taxes and he wants to make them do it. If his idea would be upheld, the patent price is to be discussed with participation of Roskomnadzor, Federal Taxation Service and internet community.