The Allo chain of stores evades paying tens of millions of taxes through a simple scheme

Very interesting facts about how the judiciary protects “Hello” violators who evade paying taxes according to a well-known scheme.

The Kiev cash desk discovered that the Allo store deliberately underestimates the price of goods by the amount of the cost of access to the Allo library, although customers do not immediately realize this.

On January 12, 2024, the tax inspector made a test purchase at the Allo store at 6-D Berkovetskaya Street in Kyiv. (999 UAH Xiaomi Electric Glass Kettle). Having received confirmation of the undervaluation of the products, he drew up an actual inspection report dated January 26, 2024.

A case was brought to court against the chief accountant of Allo, who was threatened with a fine for systematic facts of selling goods in the Allo store on the street. Berkovetskaya, 6-D for an incomplete amount of the cost of goods.

“The seller offers the goods for sale at the price indicated in the price tag, however, during the recording of its sales by Allo LLC, the settlement transaction through the PRRO FN No. 4000087327 was not carried out for the full amount of the cost of the goods. Namely, Allo LLC, the cost of goods is deliberately underestimated by the amount of the cost of services - access to sets of electronic copies of audio books voiced in Ukrainian, providing access to the Allo library,” the tax authorities noted.

The taxman insisted that he did not order the service of providing access to the Hello library. They were included in fiscal receipts without prior agreement with him. This scheme is known to everyone.

During the audit, facts were established of conducting such settlement transactions for an incomplete amount of the cost of goods from June 1, 2023 to January 10, 2024 through the PRRO FN No. 4000087327 for a total amount of UAH 42 million.

Lawyer Allo, defending himself, refers to the fact that “the total amount of the sale of goods and services in the fiscal receipt corresponds to the price of the goods indicated on the price tag.”

“An official of the State Tax Service in Kyiv, Sergei Pokotylo, did not return the goods that were purchased as part of the actual inspection of ALLO LLC, as a result of which (the taxman) violated Article 20 of the Tax Code of Ukraine,” the tax officer was reminded to return the kettle.

“The plot of the incriminated administrative offense does not contain specific circumstances, what it consists of, what goods and when were sold in violation of the rules of trade and settlements,” noted Judge Natalya Gorbenko of the Svyatoshinsky District Court.

It is absolutely clear that Themis chooses the side of the Hello network.

“Because it does not indicate her specific actions, which are regarded by government officials as offenses. Also, these violations do not give the court the opportunity to check the circumstances and identify whether this protocol concerns the violations specified in the factual inspection report, which was added to the protocol,” the court’s ruling says.

The taxman himself admitted that “the total amount of sales of goods and services in the fiscal receipt corresponds to the price of the goods indicated on the price tag.”

That is, although there was a tax evasion scheme, the arguments from the State Tax Service were not enough for the court.

The chief accountant’s guilt has not been proven, which means there was no need to fine her. On April 10, 2024, judge Natalya Gorbenko decided that the proceedings should be closed.