What will change in the lives of Russians from May 1
May is traditionally not one of the busiest months in terms of legislative changes, but during this period, regulations come into force that will significantly affect the daily lives of Russians. In particular, the rules for de-registration will change, a single SBP tariff for transfers involving businesses will begin to operate, and a new stage of mandatory labeling of certain categories of goods will begin. Exactly how these and other changes will work in Russia in May 2026 is described in the Izvestia article.
Indexation of pensions for certain categories of citizens
There is no massive pension increase in May, but some categories of pensioners will still receive increased payments due to recalculations and established surcharges. We are talking about point-by-point changes that affect specific groups of recipients.
First of all, the recalculation of insurance pensions awaits former employees of civil aviation and the coal industry. For them, the allowances are recalculated several times a year, and May is one of these periods. The amount of the additional payment is individual and depends on the length of service and the level of earnings, so the total amount for each pensioner will vary.
Separate payments are also provided in connection with memorable dates. Thus, veterans of the Great Patriotic War traditionally receive a one-time payment for Victory Day in the amount of 10 thousand rubles. It is assigned to participants and people with disabilities of the Second World War living both in Russia and in a number of Baltic countries, including Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
A significant increase in payments is expected for citizens who turned 80 in April, as well as those who have been diagnosed with disability group I. In these cases, the fixed part of the insurance pension increases — it actually doubles and amounts to about 19 thousand rubles, excluding regional coefficients.
In addition, the increase will affect pensioners who depend on disabled family members. For them, the fixed payment increases by one third for each dependent, but not more than three.
Early payment of social benefits due to the May holidays
Due to the long May holidays, part of the social benefits in 2026 will be transferred earlier than the usual schedule. This is done so that recipients do not face delays due to non-working days.
The change will affect certain types of benefits, including payments for children under 17, child care allowance for up to one and a half years for non-working parents, as well as payments for children of military personnel. These funds are usually credited to the recipients' accounts in the first days of the month, up to and including May 3. However, in the last month of spring, the schedule will be adjusted, transfers will be made in advance, at the end of April.
Updated procedure for writing off and collecting tax debts
Since May 1, the Federal Tax Service has been updating its approach to dealing with debts that cannot be collected. The innovation represents a clearer regulated procedure for writing off so-called bad debts.
If the debt is reflected in a Single Tax Account and remains unpaid for a long time, but the tax authorities have no legitimate grounds for collecting it — for example, the statute of limitations has expired or restrictions provided for by the Tax Code are in effect — such an amount may be considered uncollectible and written off. This creates an understandable mechanism for the official exclusion of such debts from accounting.
The new procedure applies not only to federal taxes, but also to regional and local payments. However, in these cases, a separate decision of the authorities of the subject or municipality is required to declare the debt uncollectible, which makes the procedure more flexible and universal for different levels of the tax system.
At the same time, the Federal Tax Service is tightening the procedure for collecting outstanding debts. The Agency will be able to collect debts of individuals and the self-employed out of court if they are confirmed and reflected in a Single tax Account. This reduces the time required for recovery and reduces the role of the judicial stage.
Therefore, it is important to monitor the status of the payment system: even small delays can quickly lead to automated collection.
Changes in the procedure for de-registration
Starting from May 1, 2026, changes regarding the rules for de-registering citizens will come into force in Russia. The main principle of the innovations is that a formal residence permit will no longer be automatically maintained if a person does not actually live at the specified address.
This is especially true for situations where a citizen has moved a long time ago, but continues to be registered in his former home. First of all, the changes will affect former spouses after a divorce, adult children living separately, citizens who have changed their place of residence, as well as cases of fictitious registration.
Now, if a person does not live at the address, does not participate in the payment of utilities and does not use the living space, the owner will have more grounds for his discharge. If previously it was necessary to prove the fact of absence of residence through the court for a long time and collect a significant amount of evidence, now the process will be significantly simplified for the owners.
Documents from management companies or HOAs, witness statements from neighbors, payment documents, and other materials confirming actual non-residence can be used as evidence. After the court's decision, it will be possible to remove a citizen from the registration register through the MFC or divisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Standardization of the tariffs of the Rapid Payment System (SBP)
Starting from May 1, 2026, the Bank of Russia introduces uniform rules and tariffs for the Fast Payment System (SBP). At the same time, the regulator separately emphasizes that virtually nothing will change for ordinary citizens.
Transfers between individuals, including transfers to oneself between accounts at different banks, will continue to be free of charge. This basic principle of SBP operation remains unchanged.
The commission will continue to be applied in transactions involving businesses. It is charged for transfers from individuals to companies, individual entrepreneurs, and the self-employed, as well as for reverse payments from businesses to citizens. The commission fee is technically small and depends on the amount of the transaction: from a few kopecks to several rubles for each transaction, however, with a large number of payments, such costs may become noticeable to businesses.
A fixed fee for cross—border transfers between individuals through the SBP is set separately at six rubles per operation. It is charged regardless of the transfer amount, while funds are credited free of charge.
Restrictions on the export of precious metals
Starting in May 2026, Russia will introduce new rules governing the export of precious metals outside the country. The changes affect both individuals and business representatives and primarily concern refined gold bullion.
According to the new regulations, the export of such ingots weighing more than 100 g is prohibited. At the same time, there are separate exceptions, in which export is still possible, but only if the established conditions are met and the necessary permits are available.
In particular, it is allowed to export refined gold to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union through strictly defined checkpoints. These include Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Knevichi international airports in Vladivostok. A prerequisite in such cases is the availability of a permit from the Federal Assay Chamber.
Expansion of the Honest Sign system
Starting from May 1, 2026, a new stage of expansion of the mandatory "Fair Sign" labeling system begins in the country. It covers three major product categories at once: radio electronics, building materials and certain types of confectionery products.
The innovations will affect both manufacturers and importers. For businesses, this means the need not only to put a labeling code on the packaging, but also to register it in the system, as well as to ensure full traceability of the product at all stages of turnover.
In the radio electronics segment, the list of products is expanding significantly. The labeling system includes sockets, switches, fixtures, lamps, as well as smartphones, laptops, tablets, printed circuit boards and switchboards. Thus, the control extends to a significant part of household and digital appliances.
Building materials are also gradually being integrated into the traceability system. Labeling will be mandatory for cement, gypsum, dry mixes, putties, sealants, mastics and mounting foam, provided they are sold in individual packaging. However, large structural elements such as beams, slabs, and trusses are not included in the current marking outline.
In the confectionery segment, the transition to new requirements is carried out in stages. Some of the products have been labeled since March, and since May croissants, rolls, cakes and pastries have additionally been subject to mandatory labeling. However, an exception is provided for products with a very short shelf life (up to five days). It is also allowed to sell goods put into circulation before May 1, without additional labeling, until their expiration date.
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