Gratuitous payments from businesses to Russia’s federal budget reached a record 383.69 billion rubles by mid-August, according to Vedomosti, which analyzed data from Russia’s Electronic Budget system.
In the first seven and a half months of 2026, the total was roughly 1.5 times the amount collected during all of 2025, when such revenues reached 251.3 billion rubles.
Vedomosti said voluntary contributions from major Russian business owners may account for a significant share of the 2026 total. Such payments were discussed in the spring around a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and business leaders.
However, the budget revenue category also includes other types of payments. These can include payments associated with foreign companies leaving Russia, including deferred payments under previously concluded transactions.
It is therefore impossible to determine from publicly available data what share of the 383.69 billion rubles came directly from Russian business owners.
The sharp increase in gratuitous revenues comes as Russia’s federal budget deficit has widened. According to figures cited by Vedomosti, the deficit reached 6.455 trillion rubles in January–July.