Salaries in the trade of excise goods increased by 26.7%: new data from the State Tax Service

The average salary in companies that trade alcohol, tobacco products, fuel, and other excise goods as of October 1, 2026, was 36,593.23 UAH. The figure has increased by 26.7% over the year. At the same time, the number of licensees who did not meet labor payment requirements has significantly decreased. Previously, the State Tax Service revoked licenses due to salaries, and now it has reported new statistics.

The State Tax Service reports on the results and inspections.

Salaries of licensees increased: data as of October 1, 2026

According to the State Tax Service, the number of enterprises that did not ensure a minimum level of wages has decreased by 93.3%. As of October 1, there are 702 such licensees left. This is 9,908 fewer than in October 2025.

The number of businesses with officially employed workers less than the number of trading places has decreased by 95%. There are 148 such enterprises left, which is 2,616 fewer than last year's figure.

The State Tax Service informs licensees about requirements through the Electronic Cabinet of the taxpayer, official resources, consultations, and explanations from territorial bodies. It is also important for employers to consider taxes on employees' salaries, which affect the total cost of labor.

Why licenses are revoked in 2026

As a result of actual inspections, tax officials revoked 4,775 licenses. The reason was non-compliance with minimum wage requirements for three consecutive months.

During inspections, sales of goods without excise stamps or with counterfeit stamps, violations of established prices, failure to issue fiscal checks, and non-application of RRO or PRRO were also detected. Financial penalties of UAH 51.7 million were imposed for such violations. Separately, the tax service is combating illegal tobacco sales.

Labor payment requirements have been in effect since October 1, 2025. For licensees within regional centers and within a radius of 50 km, the average monthly salary must not be less than twice the minimum wage. For enterprises outside this territory with trading areas of up to 500 square meters, the minimum threshold is 1.5 times the minimum wage.