Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Issuance of a cash register check is one of the indicators of legal entrepreneurial activity. This means that the goods are accounted for in accordance with the norms of the current legislation - all information about income is automatically transferred to the database of the tax authorities, and business activity is transparent. Today, new generation cash registers are being introduced - online cash registers and virtual cash registers. This transition is a phased one.

According to the press service of the State Tax Committee (STC), almost 34,000 online cash registers and virtual cash registers have been installed in retail outlets throughout the country. However, 14 128 of them are not used in settlements with consumers. That is, more than 40% of business entities, ignoring the current legislation, do not use cash registers or virtual cash registers in the system of settlements with the population, even having installed this online technique.

This is a gross violation of consumer rights, because Article 10 of the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan "On Protection of Consumer Rights" establishes the form and procedure for payment for goods (works, services), and also states that "When making a purchase and sale, the consumer is issued a cash or sales receipt. The sale of goods without issuing a cash register or sales receipt is prohibited. "

At the same time, taking into account modern market realities, namely the gradual transition of business and services to online cash registers and virtual cash registers, in addition to the check of the payment terminal, consumers should be issued checks of online cash register or virtual cash registers (Article 5 of the Presidential Decree "On measures to implement modern information technologies into the settlement system in the field of trade and the provision of services, as well as strengthening public control in this area ”UP-5813 of 09/06/2019). Business entities are aware of this.

Consumers, having made a purchase through plastic cards in pharmacies, points of sale of alcohol and tobacco products or at gas stations, receive receipts from payment terminals. These receipts do not contain detailed information about the purchase, for example, the name, quantity, price and amount (value) of the product (work or service), the amount of value added tax, QR code.

All this data is displayed in online cash register receipts. However, many entrepreneurs do not issue such checks. This means that such business entities engaged in the sale of alcohol and tobacco products, medicines, gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas for cars purposefully hide their proceeds. The lack of correct accounting of goods and the completeness of revenues to the state budget causes significant damage to the domestic economy. Unscrupulous entrepreneurs bypass the requirements of the law, staying in the shadows. Consumers themselves can contribute to the establishment of the rule of law.

How to protect your rights?

Public control is one of the most effective measures against violators. It is enough to know the basics of legislation:

- from 1 January 2020, online cash registers are MUST be used by everyone who sells medicines, alcohol and tobacco products, gasoline, diesel fuel and natural gas for cars. At these points, businesses are OBLIGED to issue checks with a QR code.

Attention! It does not matter if the consumer pays in cash or by credit card.

- from 1 August 2020, business entities, whose annual turnover (revenue) exceeded five billion soums at the end of last year, will be added to the above items. These include large retail chains.

- the right of every consumer - to demand checks with a QR code. Insist. To be interested in why the prices for medicines and other consumer goods are overpriced? If it is not possible to resolve the issue on the spot, the State Tax Committee asks to contact the "helpline" at (71) 244-98-98 or the Call-center at the short number 1198.

For violation - responsibility

Refusal to issue a check, trading without payment terminals or cash registers are serious tax violations, for which fines are provided. So, according to article 221 of the Tax Code "Trade and (or) provision of services without the use of cash registers and (or) payment terminals, when their use is mandatory, as well as the sale of goods and provision of services without issuing a receipt to the buyer, issuing coupons, a check or other equivalent documents, as well as refusal to accept payments through payment terminals - entails the imposition of a fine in the amount of five million soums. "

In the context of regions, the indicator of business entities that DO NOT USE online cash register machines or virtual cash registers (in percentage) is as follows:

Republic of Karakalpakstan - 34.2%

Andijan region - 53.6%

Bukhara region - 51, 9%

Jizzakh region - 40.0%

Kashkadarya region - 21.5%

Navoi region - 25.2%

Namangan region - 43.1%

Samarkand region - 62.4%

Surkhandarya region - 44.6%

Syrdarya region - 39.4%

Tashkent region - 47.4%

Ferghana region - 37.3%

Khorezm region - 22.5%

Tashkent city - 42.5%