Russia’s flat tax has been remarkably successful. Growth is reasonably strong and tax compliance has improved. Indeed, inflation-adjusted personal income tax revenues have been growing at double-digit rates. Despite this record of success, some politicians wanted to re-impose discriminatory tax rates on more productive taxpayers. Fortunately, as Tax​-news​.com reports, this misguided scheme was rejected:

The Russian State Duma, the lower house of parliament, has voted to reject two amendments to the Russian tax code that would replace Russia’s flat rate of tax on personal income with a progressive system whereby those who earn more pay more tax. The amendments concerned article 224 of the tax code, which stipulates that Russian tax residents pay income tax at a rate of 13% regardless of their income, and were introduced by the nationalist Rodina party, who argue that the current tax system disproportionately hits the poorest taxpayers. One of the amendments proposed no tax on individual incomes up to 60,000 rubles per year, a 10% tax on incomes from 60,000 to 120,000 rubles, a 13% tax on incomes from 120,000 to 1.2 million rubles, a 20% tax on income from 1.2 million to 3.6 million rubles and a 30% tax on income over 3.6 million rubles. The bill was opposed by both Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov and the speaker of the State Duma, Boris Gryzlov.