The Rada proposes to raise the tax for banks again: the NBU opposed it

The Verkhovna Rada has registered draft law No. 15262 “On Amendments to the Tax Code of Ukraine Regarding the Features of Taxing Banks with Corporate Income Tax”. The document envisages another increase in the tax burden on the banking sector.

The authors of the initiative explain the need for such a step by the record profits of banks during the war. According to their data, in 2025, the revenues of 60 Ukrainian banks reached UAH 579.3 billion — this is 14.2% more than in 2024, and almost 30% more than in 2023.

The parliament emphasizes that a significant part of banks’ profits is formed due to transactions with government securities, and in wartime, the key priority of the state remains financing the security and defense sector.

The deputies also note that the practice of additional taxation of banks has already been applied in 2023–2024 and 2026 and, in their opinion, has demonstrated effectiveness in filling the budget.

However, the National Bank of Ukraine has opposed the continuation of such a practice. The NBU stated that the increased tax on bank profits of 50% was perceived by the market in 2023 as a temporary and forced step due to the “non-market nature” of profits in that period.

The regulator warns that the further application of the extra tax may have negative consequences for the country’s economy.

Among the main risks, the NBU calls:

— significant limitation of the credit potential of banks;

— doubtful effectiveness of such a step for the budget in the long term;

— disproportionate burden on the banking sector, which may scare away investors.

At the same time, the authors of the bill are convinced that the adoption of the document will allow to ensure additional revenues to the state budget as early as 2027.

The discussion around the new tax burden on banks may become one of the key economic topics in the coming months, as the issue of the balance between the needs of the budget and the stability of the financial system remains particularly sensitive in wartime.