Hetmantsev spoke about the 'bodiaga' and salaries in envelopes at gas stations

The fuel market in Ukraine remains a hotspot for shadow schemes, through which the budget loses billions of hryvnias every year. Illegal gas stations, fake receipts, and envelope salaries are just part of the problems that the state is fighting against. This was stated by the head of the financial committee of the Verkhovna Rada Danylo Hetmantsev on his YouTube channel.

The most common 'shadow' schemes of gas stations in Ukraine

Before the full-scale invasion, the shadow fuel market cost the state about 20 billion hryvnias every year. According to Hetmantsev, illegal schemes include:

• Production of 'bodiaga': making fuel from gas condensate with the addition of chemicals, which is sold at 'black' gas stations without documents and taxes.

• 'Gray' schemes: legal fuel is purchased officially but sold 'in the black', with fake contracts documented to reduce taxes.

• Manipulations with receipts: gas station employees offer customers not to take a receipt, and then these receipts are used to falsify company reports.

• Salaries in envelopes: the average salary in the industry is 24 thousand hryvnias, but at some gas stations, they officially pay only 15 thousand, the rest is given 'in an envelope'.

'Every day, a person arrives at gas stations who 'buys up' the receipts you did not take, and then they are added to the company's reporting to reduce taxes', Hetmantsev explained. 

Such machinations allow enterprises to artificially inflate expenses and evade tax payments.

How the state is fighting against schemes at gas stations

The state is intensifying the fight against the shadow market. In 2024, the budget received an additional 5.7 billion hryvnias in taxes, and in 2025 an additional 1.3 billion, partly due to an increase in profit tax by 35.8%. However, the problem is far from solved: according to the Gas Association, there are 428 illegal gas stations operating in Ukraine. Hetmantsev emphasized that the Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), the National Police, and the State Tax Service need to strengthen control over the market.

Earlier, we reported about one mistake at a gas station that will cost drivers 10,000 hryvnias.