Ukraine: Treaties and transfer pricing developments

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Ukraine: Treaties and transfer pricing developments

kotenko.jpg

kalyta.jpg

Vladimir Kotenko


Iryna Kalyta

Ukraine signs a double tax treaty with Malta

On September 4 2013, Ukraine and Malta signed a double tax treaty. The treaty allows reducing withholding tax to 5% on dividends and to 10% on interest and royalties (conditions apply). The treaty will enter into force upon the exchange of ratification instruments and its provisions will apply from January 1 of the year following its entry into force.

New Ukrainian transfer pricing rules came into force

Starting September 1 2013, new transfer pricing rules finally became effective in Ukraine.

New regulations will apply to controlled transactions both for corporate profit tax and VAT purposes.

New transfer pricing rules introduced basic rules of functional and comparability analysis. Five methods, including comparable uncontrolled price, resale minus, cost plus, transactional net margin and profit split would be used for determining the arm's-length price for controlled transactions.

Controlled transactions for transfer pricing purposes will cover not only cross-border related party transactions, but also, in some cases, domestic related party transactions and even transactions with unrelated parties (for example located in low tax jurisdictions). The list of low tax jurisdictions will be adopted by the Ukrainian government. The annual threshold for controlled transactions is UAH50 million ($6.2 million).

An obligation to file transfer pricing reporting has been introduced. Transfer pricing documentation will have to be provided at the request of the tax authority. The first reporting period covers September to December 2013, and the first transfer pricing report is due by May 2014. Failure to report or to provide documentation will attract a prohibitive fine of 5% of the value of controlled transactions.

There will be a grace period on penalties for violation of transfer pricing rules from September 2013 to September 2014, but this grace period will not apply to penalties for failure to file the report or to provide documentation.

Although introduction of these more extensive transfer pricing rules is viewed as a positive development aimed at bringing Ukraine closer to OECD principles, many important matters are yet to be resolved. The government is expected to adopt secondary regulations explaining the new rules.

Vladimir Kotenko (vladimir.kotenko@ua.ey.com) and Iryna Kalyta (iryna.kalyta@ua.ey.com)

EY

Tel: +380 44 490 3000

Fax: +380 44 490 3030

Website: www.ey.com/ua

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Wingrove will succeed Bill Thomas, who has served in the role since 2017; in other news, Andersen unveiled a sharp increase in revenues for 2025
Partners are divided on Italy vs PDM D’s analytical depth, evidentiary standards, and what the judgment signals for future intra-group financing cases
As GCCs increasingly become strategic hubs, multinationals face heightened risks around permanent establishment and place of effective management
While all options presented ‘drawbacks’, European Commission tax leader Wopke Hoekstra said the controversial US carve-out deal has ‘many benefits’
From tech preparations to competitiveness concerns, Tax Systems’ Russell Gammon addresses the most pressing client considerations arising from the SbS deal
Despite estimates that the US/OECD agreement will cost countries billions, the Fair Tax Foundation’s Paul Monaghan believes the deal is a ‘necessary evil’
The firm’s eye-catching UK launch is a major statement of intent, but it will face stern opposition in its quest to be the top global tax player
The postponement came after industry representatives flagged implementation issues with the registration regime; in other news, firms made key tax partner additions
Despite the increased yield, the time taken to resolve enquiries was at a six-year high, new HMRC statistics have revealed
The High Court’s dismissal of barrister Setu Kamal’s legal challenge represents the first successful strike-out under a new law on SLAPPs
Gift this article