Lawyer Alexey Karabayev: "After quarantine everyone will have to lower prices for their services"

Companies will pay all bills, taking into account penalties and fines, and also lowering the price of their services, lawyer Alexey Karabayev is sure.

Alexey Karabayev, Chairman of the Bar Association of Karabayev Legal Group:

We provide legal services to entrepreneurs. We are engaged in arbitration disputes and legal support of business - my employees carry out the legal activities of client organizations.

Our college continues to work the entire period of the regime of self-isolation. And for these two months a rather sad picture became clear.

Firstly, the work of the courts has been suspended. Now the courts consider only cases related to the election or extension of a preventive measure. But this is a criminal proceeding. As for civil proceedings, arbitration courts, to which we are directly involved, now they are not being conducted at all, everything is on pause. It is impossible to collect a debt from an unscrupulous entrepreneur. Even if there is already a writ of execution in hand, nothing can be done. The entire judicial system paused. It is known that some businessmen pay debts only in case of coercion. Conscientious entrepreneurs can not return their money.

The main part of our activity is business support. We prepare contracts, draw up other documents necessary for the organization’s activities, interact with tax and law enforcement agencies on behalf of our clients, and represent interests in the courts. When the emergency preparedness regime was introduced, many businessmen, having heard the president’s instructions for business assistance, began to ask us for help in optimizing taxes and receiving state financial support. It seems to be declared tax holidays, credit holidays. But in fact nothing happens.

I serve a large construction, well-known advertising company, a company that provides warehouse services. We began to prepare documents to the tax authorities and realized that there were no tax deferrals. The president said - tax holidays for six months. The main amount of tax is VAT, but both paid and will pay. For some companies, this tax is up to 50% of the amount of all taxes.

When we started talking with the tax authorities, they demanded from us documentary evidence that during the period of self-isolation, the client's income had fallen. A lot of help is needed to get concessions.

It would seem that until June 1 all checks are prohibited. Yes, indeed, new checks are not initiated, but no one has suspended the old ones. All desk and field checks that have been started are ongoing. People are obliged to pay VAT for this period, but have not paid, because there is no banal money. I asked the tax inspectors a question and heard in response: as soon as they give the go-ahead, all sins will be remembered. In addition to the outstanding tax amount, fines and pennies will be added to it. Everything will be forcibly demanded.

Obviously, it is necessary to fill the state budget. Revenues from the sale of hydrocarbons fell sharply, the entire burden will fall on the business. Therefore, from my point of view, no tax concessions can be expected.

- How does the regime of self-isolation and suspension of work of clients affect your company?

- We are a microcompany. We have only five employees in our staff. During periods of large influx of clients, we attracted temporary employees and concluded contracts for piecework with them.

Before the crisis, I had six regular customers who were on subscription services. One of the regular consumers of our services is a sanatorium. The season has begun, but they are closed. They are forbidden to take vacationers. Accordingly, they cannot pay us. There are three organizations that can work remotely. If they were not there, we would lose 100% of our income. Fortunately, our landlord went forward and made a 50% discount. But this is only a delay until October 1 on rent, then everyone will be required to pay the remaining 50% for this period. That is, debts accumulate. As a result, even a rental discount complicates the situation. Many, having estimated the prospects, will decide to close. Currently, there are few landlords who provide a discount without paying further outstanding debt.

- What are your prospects for your business?

- Have to look for customers. When the work of the courts resumes, we will finish the old affairs. And then you need to come up with something. Of course, there will be a need for legal services. But it is obvious that the cost of our work will become lower. Already today I made a discount for those who are on our subscription service. And companies that can pay for our work receive a larger amount of services for the same amount.

- Do you have an airbag?

- Understanding in which state we live, for two or three months I always had the necessary amount. But two months have already passed. I had to reduce the salary of employees. Before the crisis, they earned from 50 to 100 thousand rubles a month. So far, everything at a pause of salary is not more than 50 thousand.