Ukrainian Court Orders Man to Pay UAH 1.2M in Taxes After Accounts Linked to Online Casino Scheme

A Ukrainian court has ordered a man to pay more than UAH 1.27 million in unpaid taxes and penalties after authorities traced millions of hryvnias flowing through bank accounts that investigators believe were connected to online casino payment schemes.

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The ruling, issued by the Lviv District Administrative Court, rejected an attempt to overturn tax assessments and backed the State Tax Service’s claim that the money received should be treated as taxable income.

Millions Moved Through Personal Accounts

The case centers on Oleksandr Markin, whose bank accounts received UAH 5.22 million from numerous individuals during 2023. According to tax authorities, the income was never declared and no annual tax return was filed.

The undeclared transfers came to light after monitoring by the National Bank of Ukraine. That review triggered an unscheduled tax audit, which resulted in additional personal income tax, military duty, and financial penalties.

The court ultimately ordered Markin to pay UAH 1,273,048.94. The amount includes UAH 1,175,148.25 in personal income tax and related penalties, along with UAH 97,900.69 in military duty and associated fines.

Defense Pointed to Alleged Drop Account Abuse

Markin’s legal representatives argued that the tax assessments should be cancelled, maintaining that he had been vulnerable to exploitation.

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The defense told the court that Markin has lived with a Group II disability since childhood and was later declared partially incapacitated by another court, with a legal guardian appointed. They argued that third parties may have taken advantage of his condition to open bank accounts in his name and use them as so-called drop accounts for online casino transactions without his full understanding.

The administrative court was not persuaded.

Its judgment noted that throughout 2023, when the transactions occurred, Markin remained fully legally competent. The later decision restricting his legal capacity did not take effect until November 2025, well after the disputed payments had been received.

Tax Case Separate From Any Criminal Investigation

The court also found that money credited to an individual’s bank account is presumed to be taxable income unless evidence shows otherwise. In this case, it concluded that no proof had been presented demonstrating that the UAH 5.22 million should be exempt from taxation.

Judges also drew a clear distinction between the tax dispute and the allegation that the accounts had been used by others. Whether third parties exploited the accounts or committed fraud, the ruling said, would have to be examined through criminal proceedings rather than in an administrative tax case.

Judge N.I. Mrychko issued the decision on July 6, 2026, in case No. 380/12355/25, allowing the State Tax Service in the Lviv region to recover the outstanding tax debt from Markin.

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Source: antikor.info