Kursk Residents Face Tax Dilemma for War-Destroyed Properties

Residents in the border district of Kursk in southwestern Russia are still facing tax notices for homes, vehicles, and land that were destroyed during the Ukrainian offensive last year, local media reported on Friday.

A group from the Korenevsky district has officially requested Governor Alexander Khinshtein of Kursk to reconsider tax liabilities related to the destroyed properties and vehicles, as reported by the news source Pepel Kursk.

Even though relief efforts, including housing certificates for those who lost their primary residences, have been implemented, residents claim that the Federal Tax Service (FNS) continues to assess full-year property taxes on homes that were ruined during the attacks in August and September of 2024.

Pepel Kursk published an image of the two-page letter addressed to Khinshtein, which was signed by two members of the initiative group.

The group feels their concerns are being overlooked by the FNS, as their properties remain registered in the state real estate registry, even though they have been officially declared uninhabitable.

The letter states, “In essence, while the documents are adequate to secure the housing certificate, they do not suffice to halt the tax liabilities.”

According to the independent news outlet Govorit Nemoskva, residents from Korenevo, Sudzha, Rylsk, and other nearby areas have been queuing at the regional subsidy office in Kursk as early as 5:00 a.m. for weekly appointments to inquire about the status of their housing certificate applications.

These housing certificates can facilitate acquiring new homes, but residents must relinquish ownership of their destroyed properties, which leaves many displaced families in a difficult situation.

Pepel Kursk also reports similar challenges regarding vehicles and land parcels. Local residents continue to receive tax bills for vehicles that have been destroyed by fire and for land they cannot access due to ongoing security restrictions imposed by regional emergency authorities.

In August 2024, Ukrainian forces launched an unexpected cross-border assault into the Kursk region, capturing significant territories before being driven out by Russian troops supported by North Korean forces in early 2025.