FinMin could tax mobile phones to raise budget

One of the solutions identified by the Ministry of Finance to raise state budget revenues is to expand the excise base to other product categories, according to a working document of the Ministry of Finance, which includes part of the recommendations for modifying the Fiscal Code.

Thus, the state would be able to apply excises to products such as mobile phones, pagers, iphones, lighters, watches, adult magazines, caviar, sturgeon, satellite receiver antennas, and GPS systems.
The Ministry of Finance could set specific excise taxes per unit of measure for weapons other than military ones, and engines with a capacity in excess of 25 horsepower destined for yachts and other recreational ships and boats.

In order to avoid reimbursing significant amounts to the private sector, the state could exempt from taxes foreign currency exchange rate differences related to foreign currency loans, receivables, and commercial debts. "Also the exemption from deduction/taxation of differences from the revaluation of Real estate units is wanted. The fact that taxable profit is calculated based on registered revenues and expenses is being considered," the same document indicates.

Moreover, the government could also limit the deductibility of exploitation expenses of a vehicle owned by a company to 50 percent of their total.
Regarding modifications that target employers and employees, the Ministry of Finance is considering including revenues obtained from "activities of the nature of those developed under other legal forms" (such as microenterprises, civil contracts) in the salary tax category.
The Fiscal Code could also include the modification of taxation of commercial real estate transactions by "foregoing the calculation of tax based on the value of the traded real estate unit, in favor of the calculation of the fiscal profit (a 16 percent tax will be applied to the difference between the sale value and the buy value".

Business Standard