STRAPPED FOR CASH, DESPERATE PUTIN RAISES TAXES ON POOR RUSSIANS

Vlad delivering up another shit sandwich for the Russian proles

Crackpot Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has finally turned on the Russian people in a desperate attempt to keep his insane war in the Ukraine going. 

Spilling Russian blood was no biggie for Vlad, but now, with money running out, due to tightening sanctions and Ukrainian hits on Russia's relatively undefended oil refineries, the shortarse leader of the Kremlin has decided to raise taxes on Russia's poor, which is most of the population because even with massive natural resources Russia has always had a shit economy. The average Russian earns about $1000 a month.

Thanks to fat oil revenues in the past, all Russians were paying a relatively low flat rate tax on their generally low earnings, with 13% personal income tax on anyone earning below 5 million rubles (<$50,000) and 15% on those earning above that. Rich oligarchs, however, paid 0% tax, as long as they were on the West's sanctions list.

Now the poorest Russians will have to pay 15%, while those earning above the 5 million rubles mark will have to cough up 20%. The oligarchs, of course, will continue to pay nothing.

Corporate tax will also soar, from 20% to 25%, meaning that most companies without government contracts to produce crappy, low-tech Russian armaments will probably go bust. Putin's hope is that he can keep this ramshackle economy going long enough to have his arse pulled out of the fire by braindead American voters voting for Donald Trump in the US Presidential elections in November.

The new tax system is expected to be brought in following Putin's swearing in as President in May.