ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ФІНАНСОВОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ДОМОГОСПОДАРСТВ В «СТАРИХ» КРАЇНАХ ЄС В ПЕРІОД КРИЗОВИХ ЯВИЩ В ЕКОНОМІЦІ ТА ЗМІН В ОПОДАТКУВАННІ

Introduction. Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022-2025 forced our country's authorities to cut social spending and raise taxes (primarily indirect taxes), which worsened the level of financial security of most Ukrainian households. The article, based on the analysis of such categories as “household finances” and “household financial security”, reveals the peculiar6+ities of ensuring the latter in the so-called “old” EU countries during economic crises and economic downturns in the twenty-first century. The purpose of the article. The purpose of the study is to analyze the experience of the “old” EU members in terms of household financial security in the face of economic crises and recessions and ways to overcome them in the twenty-first century. This is also important because in 2023 Ukraine received the status of a candidate for EU membership, which imposes on our country the obligation to comply with EU standards in tax and social policy, to prevent significant stratification in household income during crises, which is still typical for Ukraine. Methods. The study used such general scientific methods of cognition as generalization and comparison, analysis, and a systematic approach. Results. The article also identifies the risks in the functioning of household finances in wealthier and less wealthy countries of the European Union, primarily during the crises of 2008-2009 and in 2022-2024 and the economic downturn in 2020-2021. Based on this analysis, the author substantiates for the Ukrainian authorities the directions for optimizing household expenditures during this period under the influence of the state policy of reducing public spending during crises. The article pays considerable attention to changes in income taxation in the “old” EU countries and their impact on the financial security of households during financial instability, which is important to take into account in our country. Conclusions. All of this made it possible to substantiate the necessary changes in ensuring the financial security of Ukrainian households during the crisis of 2022-2024 and during the recovery of its economy, taking into account the experience of the “old” EU countries.