MOSCOW, April 18 - RAPSI. The St. Petersburg and Leningrad Region Commercial Court has overruled the tax service's decision to collect profit tax on foreign donations from a non-profit organization.

Earlier, the tax authority charged the Strategy humanitarian and political science center in St. Petersburg 4.5 million rubles ($152,000) in supplementary profit tax.
The center contested the decision in court. Its statement of claim reads that the tax authority sought profit tax on donations granted by foreign entities not included in a special government list.

AGORA represented the center. In the AGORA vs the tax authority case, the Supreme Commercial Court ruled on July 28 that Russian non-profit entities are not obliged to pay profit tax on donations from abroad.

According to AGORA, the center based its position in St. Petersburg on the higher court's judgment.

A similar tax audit is being performed at the Golos voters' rights association.

Tax officials are checking to see if Golos correctly calculated and paid profit tax on earmarked donations, AGORA said.