Thefts in shops

In 2013 citizens stole in supermarkets of Russia of goods for the amount more than 638 million rubles. Official statistics of the Federal Tax Service demonstrates to it. Losses "from shortage of material values at trade enterprises, production and warehouses in case of absence of perpetrators" are like that, according to officials. It is 12% more, than the previous year — then buyers took out from shops of goods for 568 million rubles^[1].

Most of all steal in Moscow: falls to the share of the capital the stolen goods for the amount of 412 million rub - it is 65% of all all-Russian thefts. On the second place — the Samara region (it is stolen goods for 97.9 million rubles), on the third — St. Petersburg where it was taken out goods for 38.6 million rubles.

Statistically, the most fair regions of Russia are in the North Caucasian Federal District and in the Far East: in Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Magadan and in some other regions losses of trade enterprises "in the absence of perpetrators" equal to zero. At the same time in two last years the damage from thefts in Moscow grew almost by 50%: in 2011 in Moscow it was stolen goods "only" for 287.9 million rubles that made only 38% of all Russian thefts.

As the director of external relations of Dixy group Ekaterina Kumanina told Izvestia, most often from shops steal medium-sized and expensive goods: elite alcohol, sausage and fish delicacies, coffee, caviar, perfumery and cosmetics. Store pilferers and cheaper goods of a prikassovy zone — chocolate, razors, etc. do not ignore.

— It is logical that the greatest business volume of network shops is the share of Moscow and therefore in the same place the maximum volume of such plunders — the analyst of IFC Markets Dmitry Lukashov considers. — It is, unfortunately, the essential risk factor of their activity put in an essence of such retail business.

However, according to experts, official statistics is only an iceberg top. It considers only cases when supermarkets attract law enforcement agencies, the general counsel of TaxAdmin.ru expert center Artemy Nikolaev notes.

— To reduce income tax due to shortage of goods, it is necessary that the impossibility of establishment of perpetrators was confirmed with police. So criminal case should be brought, and then the investigator should sign the resolution on the termination of criminal case because the perpetrator is not identified — he notes. — Many just prefer not to contact it.

The head of department for public relations of X5 Retail Group Vladimir Rusanov noted that digits of plunders grow in the reporting of tax administration as every year the number of shops of networks through the whole country increases.

— The loss from theft in network retail still makes about 1.5% — it is several orders more, than official statistics shows — Rusanov told. — X5 Retail Group combats theft in the shops, but it is not possible to eradicate a problem.

— Almost weekly in each of Dixy shops employees delay pilferers. For last year nearly 50 thousand offenses were succeeded to prevent the companies. About 1 thousand situations became the basis for initiation of legal proceedings, on many of them convictions are pronounced — Ekaterina Kumanina adds.

Besides, according to the asset manager of the Financial company AForex Sergey Kavzharov, statistics does not reflect plunder from the staff of shop.

— The C unfair employee retail chain stores prefer to understand independently, without involvement of police — he says.

That retailers could write off losses from plunders without participation of police, amending the Tax Code (TC) is required, specifies Nikolaev.

The government in April, 2013 introduced the bill of the Ministry of Finance which was drafted with active participation of retail chain stores to the State Duma. The project provided amendments to Articles 265 and 272 of the Tax Code under which retailers with a self-service zone not less than 70% can consider losses from thefts in 0.75% of revenue in an account part. Check that goods were really stolen, should, according to the bill, auditors — they confirm that theft by unidentified persons, but not, for example, natural losses of goods really took place. But the special-purpose committee of the State Duma issued the negative conclusion and recommended to reject the project of the Ministry of Finance. Deputies did not believe that simplification of a tax burden will positively affect the retail prices, besides, by their calculations, it would lead to budget losses in 10-15 billion rubles.

However, it is possible that department still will return to consideration of a question as, it agrees to "The main directions of tax policy for 2014 and planning period of 2015-2016", the mechanisms allowing to carry in structure of expenses for the purposes of loss income tax which cannot be carried on perpetrators should be provided in the Tax Code.

See Also

• Corruption (fraud, bribes): Russia and world
• Crime in Russia