The lower chamber of the Russian parliament, the State Duma, rejected on Wednesday a bill to impose additional taxes on the purchase of luxury items.
A proposed amendment to the country's tax code, introduced by the opposition A Just Russia party, stipulates that taxes would be increased on the purchase of real estate worth over 15 million rubles ($500,000), cars costing more than two million rubles ($67,000), as well as planes, helicopters and yachts.
A State Duma committee recommended rejecting the bill as property tax is already imposed during the purchase of such items under the current Russian legislation.
The bill would result in double taxation and encourage tax evasion, Vasily Tolstopyatov, a committee member from the ruling United Russia party, said
Many countries, including the United States, France and the Britain have introduced luxury taxes.
MOSCOW, May 12 (RIA Novosti)
