The State Duma has proposed new rules for the self-employed

The State Duma proposed to amend the Labor Code to distinguish labor and civil law relations as clearly as possible. As Dmitry Skrivanov, a State Duma deputy from the Perm Region, explained, the initiative is aimed at protecting the self-employed from attempts by employers to replace an employment contract with a civil one, thus depriving them of social guarantees — sick leave, vacation pay and pension savings.

In six years, the experiment with the professional income tax has become a full-fledged institution. According to the Federal Tax Service, more than 16.5 million self-employed people are currently registered in Russia. The largest number was recorded in Moscow (2.37 million) and St. Petersburg (1.03 million). The figures are also high in other regions: in Tatarstan — 447 thousand, in the Novosibirsk region — 378 thousand, in the Samara Region — 375 thousand, in the Perm Region — more than 285 thousand.

In regions with a high concentration of the self-employed, the changes will be particularly noticeable, Skrivanov stressed. However, they will be no less significant for single-industry towns and rural areas, where small businesses are particularly vulnerable. According to the MP, maintaining the stability of the self—employment regime is a matter of trust for millions of people who trusted the state and came out of the shadows.

"The initiative will not make life more difficult for the self-employed, but will make the rules clear and fair for everyone. For the Perm Region, where small businesses in the service, construction and repair sectors are actively working with the self—employed, clear rules will reduce risks and create more opportunities for legal employment," Skrivanov concluded.

The initiative is also supported by trade unions, the parliamentarian noted. In their opinion, legislative changes should clearly distinguish between real self-employment and substitution of labor relations. According to the Ministry of Labor, violations related to the substitution of labor relations were detected at 84% of the inspected enterprises.