Transportation classes: budget revenues from recycling have dropped by a third
In the first three months of 2025, the recycling brought 97 billion rubles to the budget, which is a third less than a year earlier, according to data provided to Izvestia by the Ministry of Finance. So far, we have managed to collect less than 10% of the plan for the year. And this is despite the fact that the tax rate has increased once again since January 1. The reason is a sharp decline in sales of new cars due to their high cost and unavailability of loans. The scrap collection goes to the treasury, and then these funds are redirected in the form of subsidies to support the automotive industry in the Russian Federation. How this may affect the situation in the industry is described in the Izvestia article.
Recycling in 2025
Revenues to the federal budget from recycling decreased sharply in early 2025. In the first quarter, revenues for this item amounted to 97 billion rubles, which is almost a third less than last year (142 billion), according to data provided to Izvestia by the Ministry of Finance. This year, most of the amount fell on imported vehicles — 91 billion, and the rest — on those manufactured in the Russian Federation.
Initially, budget revenues from recycling for the whole of 2025 were set at 2 trillion rubles, but when the financial plan was revised in May, the forecast was lowered to 1.5 trillion, according to the amendments of the Ministry of Finance. But the receipts are still significantly behind expectations — less than a tenth have been collected in three months.
The money under this article is not available, even though the amount of the fee is constantly increasing. The last indexation was on January 1. Depending on the type of vehicle, it was increased by 20%.
Recycling is a kind of one—time environmental tax levied on car manufacturers in Russia, as well as importers-legal entities and individuals who import them from abroad. The fee should cover the costs of recycling and disposal of vehicles and other equipment (construction, agricultural) when they cease to be used. The government also directs the money received from this payment to support the Russian automotive industry.
To calculate the amount of waste collection, multiply its base rate by the coefficient. These indicators depend on the type of vehicle, its age and other characteristics. The following basic tax rates are currently in effect:
— for passenger cars — 20 thousand rubles,
— for other types of transport — 150 thousand.,
— for self—propelled vehicles and trailers - 172.5 thousand.
The coefficients differ depending on several parameters and increase every year. They mainly depend on the purpose of importation, the age of the car, and the engine capacity. This year, there are coefficients from 9.01 to 180.24 for sale. Thus, the amount of the commercial fee for a passenger car can range from 180.2 thousand to 3.6 million rubles.
If an individual is transporting a car from abroad for personal use, then the coefficient, depending on age, ranges from 0.17 to 0.26, and, accordingly, you need to pay from 3.4 thousand to 5.2 thousand rubles.
Why have the revenue from recycling decreased?
The bulk of the scrap collection comes from the import of vehicles and special equipment, as well as from their production in Russia without fulfilling special recycling obligations, Yaroslav Dubenkov, a junior researcher at the Center for Strategic Studies at the Faculty of Economics of the RUDN University, recalled.
Revenue from recycling is declining as car sales in Russia collapsed in 2025, explained Vladimir Chernov, analyst at Freedom Finance Global. In particular, in the first three months, the number of cars sold decreased by 25% compared to last year, to 247 thousand, trucks — by 46% (15.4 thousand), buses — by 55% (2.5 thousand). People began to buy vehicles less due to lower incomes, rising car prices, and increased control over parallel imports, the expert emphasized.
At the same time, expensive loans are currently in the Russian Federation — the key one has been at a prohibitively high level of 21% for more than six months. And cars are often purchased with borrowed funds. As Izvestia wrote earlier, at the beginning of 2025, car loan issuance collapsed to two-year lows.
In addition, in recent months, many people have become more active in using opportunities to reduce fees — they register equipment as used, thereby reducing the collection rate, Yaroslav Dubenkov said. Or, for example, they supply cars from friendly countries (in particular, from the EAEU — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan). However, starting from May 1, the fee is calculated based on the difference between the average market price of a car in Russia and the actual purchase price in the partner countries, meaning this loophole has been closed.
What will happen to car prices in 2025
The proceeds from the disposal fee are credited to the federal budget. At the same time, some of these funds actually go to car recycling, and some to tools to support and stimulate the Russian car market, said Pavel Gribov, associate professor at the Presidential Academy. As Russian leader Vladimir Putin noted, such a collection is a way to support a domestic manufacturer without violating international requirements.
Judging by the budget plan, subsidies to Russian manufacturers of wheeled vehicles (TS) in 2025 are provided in the amount of 819 billion rubles against 350 billion rubles a year earlier.
A decrease in revenue from recycling may lead to a reduction in government support for automakers, says Vladimir Chernov of Freedom Finance Global. However, in his opinion, this is unlikely to happen — the country will continue to support this industry anyway and automakers will receive subsidies in the required amount. The authorities will probably look for additional funds for these purposes, Vladimir Chernov believes.
— For example, the subjects were instructed to actively participate in co—financing car production programs, especially where there are factories. In addition, large backbone car plants such as AvtoVAZ, GAZ, and KAMAZ can receive direct preferential loans and capital investments from development structures," said Yaroslav Dubenkov from RUDN University.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and asked how the amount of subsidies for the development of the automotive industry would change due to a decrease in revenue from recycling.
An increase in the fee directly leads to an increase in car prices. In 2024, the cost of passenger cars has already increased by about 40% on average. This year, recycling has increased by 20% — the cost of cars can rise by the same amount.
According to Vladimir Chernov, this may lead to an additional decrease in demand and, consequently, to a decrease in revenue from recycling. He believes that the budget can receive only 1-1.1 trillion rubles out of the 1.5 trillion planned in the updated budget.
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