THE TAX SYSTEM OF UKRAINE: MODERN ASPECTS OF FUNCTIONING AND DIRECTIONS OF OPTIMIZATION

Objective. The purpose of the article is to study the conditions and results of the functioning of the tax system of Ukraine in the pre-war period and during the full-scale military invasion. Methods. The research was conducted using abstract-logical, graphical, analytical and other methods of scientific cognition. Results. During 2014-2023, the tax system of Ukraine underwent a number of improvements and reforms, which, despite the declared focus on improving efficiency, did not allow achieving the specified results. The improvement of certain aspects of the tax system was particularly active at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, when a number of stimulus laws were adopted to reduce the tax burden on the economy, consumers and entrepreneurs. At the same time, the level of budget revenues and the share of tax revenues in consolidated budget revenues and expenditures tended to increase in 2014-2021. Only in 2022-2023 did this figure decline significantly. However, the qualitative assessment showed that the overall level of the tax burden remained fairly stable throughout the study period and amounted to more than 30%. Such a high rate negatively affects the efficiency of the tax system, as it encourages taxpayers to violate tax laws and narrows the range of potential investors. Scientific novelty. Given the situation under study, the author proposes relevant directions for optimizing the functioning of the tax system of Ukraine at the present stage, taking into account not only economic (contextual focus on the relevant areas and sectors of the national economy), social (regulation of the actual effectiveness of the tax-free minimum) and political (openness of data on the directions and amounts of tax revenues, streamlining and harmonization of tax legislation, etc. Practical significance. Implementation of the above vectors of improvement of the tax system will allow stabilizing it at the stage of active hostilities and will be an impetus for further development in the post-war period.