Special repayment: bailiffs will begin to collect debts from Russians more actively
Overdue debts of citizens and businesses will more often be transferred to bailiffs. By 2029, revenues from the enforcement fee (a fine for late repayment of obligations) to the treasury will increase almost 1.5 times to 152 billion rubles, according to a new draft budget, which was studied by Izvestia. This will happen due to an increase in the number of enforcement proceedings and more efficient debt collection. The number of cases is growing against the background of expensive loans and accumulated debt burden after active lending in previous years. In addition, starting in 2026, the size of the performance fee has increased from 7% to 12%. Why Russians and companies are increasingly unable to cope with payments and what to do if there is no money to repay debts - in the Izvestia article.
Why are the incomes from bailiffs' work growing?
In January – August 2026, the Federal Bailiff Service (FSSP) carried out just over 97 million proceedings, according to its data, which was studied by Izvestia. About half of them have been initiated this year, the rest have been transferred from previous years. In eight months, bailiffs have completed and terminated almost 45 million cases totaling over 5 trillion rubles.
At the same time, in the eight months of 2026, about 68 billion rubles were received from the executive fee to the federal budget, according to FSSP statistics. This is an additional monetary penalty of a punitive nature, which the bailiff assigns to the debtor for non-fulfillment of the requirements within the prescribed period. Usually, five working days are allocated for voluntary execution after receiving the resolution, and sometimes a day.
By the end of 2026, revenue is expected to reach 103 billion, according to the explanatory note to the draft budget for 2027-2029, which was studied by Izvestia. In 2027, they are expected to increase by about 14%, to 117 billion. Then the amount will reach 133.1 billion in 2028 and 151.6 billion in 2029, almost one and a half times the estimate for this year. The document explains this dynamic with an expected increase in the number of enforcement proceedings and an increase in the efficiency of collecting the fee itself. The Ministry of Finance, in response to a request from Izvestia, recommended contacting the FSSP.
The increase in the number of proceedings is based on an analysis of the receipt of enforcement documents over three years, the FSSP press service told the editorial board. This indicator is increasing annually, they added. In 2025, about 131 million enforcement documents were in execution, which is 3% more than in 2024, the service said.
One of the reasons for the increase in the number of proceedings was the digitalization of bailiffs, said Alexandra Koroleva, a lawyer and member of the Russian Bar Association. According to her, the service has received automated access to data from banks, the Federal Tax Service, the Social Fund, Rosreestr and the traffic police. Previously, documents could wait months for processing, but now decisions on initiating proceedings, searching for invoices and imposing arrests are made in a matter of days, she noted.
At the same time, it has become more difficult for citizens and businesses to fulfill their obligations due to the high debt burden and expensive loans, the lawyer continued. Banks and microfinance organizations are moving more quickly to enforcement: they turn to the court for court orders and to notaries for executive orders.
The increase in the number of enforcement proceedings is also associated with an increase in lending volumes in previous years. The peak of disbursements in 2023-2024 is now gradually moving into the overdue stage, added Nina Gukasova, director of the FMCF program for improving financial literacy of the population at the Presidential Academy.
The expert also recalled that since 2026, the enforcement fee has increased from 7 to 12% of the recoverable amount, and the minimum threshold for individuals and sole proprietors has doubled to 2 thousand rubles.
At the same time, the increase in revenue does not mean a comparable increase in debts or the number of defaulters, said independent economist Viktor Mangazeev. One person or company may have several production facilities, and budget revenues depend on the amount of penalties, the payment rate, and the funds actually received. New cases may be related to the accumulation of overdue payments.
A quick search for accounts, income and property, as well as the control of deductions can increase the effectiveness of bailiffs, the expert believes. However, speeding up the procedure will not help if there is objectively no money.
What debts most often reach bailiffs?
According to Alexandra Koroleva, citizens most often have difficulties paying off consumer loans, credit card debt, and microloans. According to the latter, fines and penalties quickly increase the amount of debt, she explained. Among other problematic obligations, the lawyer named payments for housing and communal services, alimony, and traffic police fines for violations recorded by cameras.
About 38% of citizens' debts are owed by banks and MFIs, Nina Gukasova added. The total liabilities of the population to credit institutions have reached 45 trillion, of which almost half are mortgages. In second place are fines from the traffic police and law enforcement agencies (about 15%), followed by debts for housing and communal services (9%), taxes and alimony.
According to Alexandra Koroleva, business difficulties are more often related to taxes, as well as settlements under supply, lease and contract agreements. Tax arrears often block the company's activities. Debts accumulate especially quickly in small and medium-sized businesses due to cash gaps and non-payments by counterparties, the expert said.
How to pay off bailiffs
At the same time, the activation of bailiffs can drive people or businesses into an even bigger debt hole. If you don't have enough money, you can ask for a delay or a partial payment, says Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Global. Job loss, illness, or a drop in income must be documented and a reasonable schedule must be proposed to the court.
An oral agreement with the bailiff and small translations do not replace an official decision, warns economist Viktor Mangazeev. Filing an application does not stop the collection of the principal debt. The usual lack of money does not exempt from the fee, he said.
Another option is a settlement agreement with the creditor, lawyer Alexandra Koroleva added. It may provide a discount and convenient payment terms. The agreement is approved by the court, after which the proceedings are terminated.
In order not to overpay, the expert advises checking the amount of the claims and the date of the FSSP notification. If you pay within five business days and hand over the receipt to the bailiff, the enforcement fee will not be charged. When the deadline is missed, you can ask the court to reduce the sanction by a maximum of a quarter, give installments or, if required by law, release it.
The economist also recalls the limits of deductions: usually, no more than 50% after taxes can be deducted from salaries and other income. For individual claims, including child support for minor children, the threshold reaches 70%.
Alexandra Koroleva recommends informing the bailiff about accounts with legally protected payments, such as child benefits. For loan obligations, you can apply to maintain a living wage. If there are dependents, an appeal to the court allows to increase the inviolable amount.
If the funds and property are insufficient, bankruptcy can be considered, Natalia Milchakova said. The free procedure through the MFC is available for debts from 25 thousand to 1 million rubles and compliance with the terms of the law. For example, after the end of production due to lack of assets, if other unfinished business did not appear later. This does not cancel the obligations: the creditor has the right to present the document again, Alexandra Koroleva reminded.
In case of insolvency, you can apply to the arbitration court with an amount of less than 1 million, but this requires expenses, the lawyer explained. Natalia Milchakova noted that this path may involve restructuring obligations or selling assets.
Alimony, unpaid salaries, compensation for moral damage and damage to life and health, as well as obligations under subsidiary liability are not written off, the lawyer noted.
At the same time, typical mistakes of debtors are ignoring the bailiff's order (which leads to automatic collection of fees), attempting to conceal property (which threatens with subsidiary liability and refusal to write off debts in bankruptcy), as well as late appeals against erroneous write—offs, Nina Gukasova from the Presidential Academy noted.
Thus, the draft budget assumes that compulsory collection will bring more money to the treasury. But speeding up the procedures will not solve the problem of those who have nothing to pay, experts are sure. Therefore, the result will depend not only on the digitalization of the FSSP, but also on the financial situation of citizens and companies.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
