Tax Messenger
Summaries of key tax and legal developments in legislation and case law and the latest issues affecting human resource management, prepared by B1's experts in Russia
Taxis under SPIC rules: new localization requirements
Bill No. 481272-8 (amendments to Federal Law No. 580-FZ “Concerning the Organization of the Transport of Passengers and Baggage by Taxi…”), which proposes to toughen the requirements for vehicles used in taxi services, is about to undergo a second reading. The bill was initially submitted to the State Duma in January 2024 but was later sent back for revision. The official text of the amendments has not been published, but the key provisions were disclosed in press. Below is a summary of the possible key changes and their potential impact on the industry.
28.03.2025
Non-use cancellation of a trademark: risks for foreign rights holders start to materialize
In 2025, the three-year grace period for the non-use of a trademark expires for many foreign right holders which exited the Russian market in 2022. This poses a risk of a non-use cancellation action against such trademarks from companies that continues to operate in Russia. Such precedents are already in place. One of such “fresh” precedents is discussed below.
25.03.2025
New rules regarding the localization of personal data of Russian citizens
Federal Law No. 23-FZ “Concerning Amendments to the Federal Law “Concerning Personal Data” and Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation”, which was published on 28 February 2025, amends the wording of the requirement regarding the localization of the personal data of Russian citizens.
06.03.2025
New draft law on compulsory patent licenses: extension of the authority’s powers and grounds for issuing such licenses
On 15 January 2025 a bill “On Amendments to Part Four of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation” was submitted to the State Duma. The State Duma has not considered the Bill on the merits yet.
13.02.2025
Increased responsibility of EU operators to ensure that Russian companies under their control comply with restrictive measures
On 24 June 2024 the EU passed a 14th package of sanctions which significantly increased the responsibility of EU companies to ensure that Russian companies under their control comply with restrictive measures. Specifically, the newly inserted Article 8a of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014 requires such companies to undertake their best efforts to ensure that their subsidiaries outside the EU do not participate in activities that undermine the application of restrictive measures imposed by the EU. However, the Regulation does not specify precisely what measures must be taken to comply with these requirements, thus causing uncertainty as to what actions may be considered adequate from an EU law perspective.
16.12.2024