Accredited investor: legal status and problems of taxation

The subject of the research is the legal norms contained in legislation and other legal acts that regulate the grounds for the emergence and the mechanism for implementing the status of an accredited investor, requirements for individuals, as well as certain aspects of taxation of accredited investors. The experience of legal regulation of income from investment activities, used in foreign legislation, is also analyzed in the context of the topic.

The purpose of the article is to confirm the need to revise the requirements for accredited investors, to clarify the legislative provisions of the personal income tax. The reason for this study was legislative changes that caused an ambiguous reaction among the entire legal community in Russia.

The methodology. General scientific methods were applied in the framework of a comparative, logical and statistical study and analysis of law enforcement and judicial practice in the field of taxation of an accredited investors.

The main results. The following issues were investigated. What was the reason for the introduction of the status of an accredited investor in Russian legislation? It was the need firstly to protect the rights of investors, and secondly to regulate and protect the stock market from unconsciously high-risk transactions. What requirements are specified in the law for obtaining this status, what requirements exist in foreign legislation and why does domestic legislation need to be revised? We can divide the requirements for obtaining the status into three general groups: experience, knowledge and risk. Investor is obliged to meet two criteria by European legislation, when only one criterion by Russian legislation. The problem of taxation of qualified investors was raised in the context of the progressive income tax rate. Taxation of qualified investors needs a thorough legislative review in terms of tax deductions.

Conclusions. The ideas for the introduction of the status of an accredited investor, of a progressive personal income tax rate were implemented in Russian legislation from the legislation of foreign countries. Such Russian legal rules needs significant revision. The legislative term "accredited investor" should be introduced in legislation system. It is necessary to clarify the criteria for obtaining a status, as well as to consolidate the necessity for accredited investors to comply with two conditions instead of one. Such an initiative would allow investors themselves to approach investing more consciously and would remove risks from brokers. Tax legislation should be amended in part of tax deductions for persons whose main activity is investment, since the current state of affairs discriminates them against individuals in their rights. The revision of the fixed requirements as well as the clarification of the tax legislation will attract investors (both Russian and foreign) to the Russian stock market, while the economy will receive positive growth, intermediaries-brokers and issuing firms will be provided with protection from unconscious risks.

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