By a large calculation: Russians cannot repay credit cards due to tax debts
Russians complain that they cannot pay off their credit card debt due to tax debts. Izvestia found more than ten similar requests in profile chats. Since November 2025, individuals' tax debts have been collected without trial, so funds intended to repay a credit card can be deducted from paying taxes. Customers of individual banks have already experienced a deterioration in their credit history due to such problems, however, the Federal Tax Service confirmed the legality of the restrictions. How to avoid new debts — in the Izvestia article.
Why credit card replenishment is blocked due to tax debts
Russians are increasingly faced with the fact that financial institutions are blocking them from replenishing their credit cards due to tax debts. Izvestia has studied similar complaints about "Banks.<url>" and other resources. Such appeals are also found in the official chat of the Federal Tax Service. There is approximately one scheme everywhere — a person tries to top up a card through an ATM or online, but the operation is completely frozen or the credited funds are immediately written off as tax arrears. As a result, a delay is formed on the card.
For example, in September, an Alfa-Bank customer transferred almost 178,000 rubles to a credit card in order to completely close the debt on the last day of the interest-free period. However, the money was used to pay off the debt owed to the Federal Tax Service, and the bank charged interest on the credit card.
A customer of Sberbank faced a similar problem when she tried to make a cash payment through the bank's cash desk. Due to the tax penalty, restrictions were imposed on her accounts, so the funds deposited were also used to repay debts owed to the Federal Tax Service.
The problem has also affected businesses. For example, in April 2026, the Federal Tax Service seized the individual entrepreneur's checking accounts, and then the entrepreneur's credit card, which eventually could not fulfill its obligations - any attempts to replenish it led to an automatic write—off of funds in favor of the tax service.
One of the complaints stated that the bank did not allow making the minimum payment on a credit card, although the person was still in court with the tax on the amount owed. Another complained that even a personal visit to a financial institution did not yield results — it was not possible to top up the card even in cash.
The number of complaints about such restrictions has been growing since the spring of 2026, said Arthur Leer, managing partner of Lex Alliance Law Firm. According to him, when funds deposited on a credit card are written off against taxes, the borrower may experience delays, fines and problems with his credit history.
"The money that the client deposits to repay the loan is written off in favor of the tax service as a matter of priority, and spending operations on the card are limited until the debt is repaid," he explained.
Such a write-off procedure is provided for by law, the Federal Tax Service explained to Izvestia. If there is not enough money in the account to pay off all obligations, the bank is obliged to comply with the established sequence of payments. Collection of tax arrears on behalf of the Federal Tax Service belongs to the third stage, and repayment of the loan belongs to the fifth. Therefore, the money is first sent to pay taxes, and the bank cannot make a loan payment bypassing this requirement.
The scale of the potential problem can be significant: there are 30.16 million active credit card users in Russia. At the same time, the total tax arrears of citizens and businesses reached almost 4 trillion rubles by April 1, 2026, having increased by a third over the year, according to the Federal Tax Service. However, it is not yet known exactly how many borrowers are faced with the inability to repay a credit card due to tax penalties. Izvestia sent inquiries to the largest banks.
The authorities have embarked on a policy of "whitewashing the economy" and reducing the shadow turnover of money, against which they are strengthening tax control and automating the detection of violations. For example, the Federal Tax Service plans to expand the exchange of information with banks — from July 2027, an updated procedure for the electronic transfer of documents and information between the tax service and credit institutions will begin to operate.
Why are there more cases of credit card blockages?
Russians are increasingly seeking legal advice on the legality of blocking credit card replenishment due to tax arrears, said Dmitry Chelnokov, managing partner of Formula Consent law firm.
Since November 1, 2025, the Federal Tax Service has been granted the right to collect undisputed tax debts from citizens without going to court. According to the expert, simplification of the procedure could lead to an increase in the number of such cases in 2026.
— Debiting money directly from the credit limit, that is, bank funds, is illegal and technically impossible. This money belongs to the credit institution, not to the borrower. However, blocking deposits is a legitimate mechanism," he said.
This procedure actually limits the borrower's ability to independently choose which obligations to repay first, according to Albert Anufriev, managing partner of Forseti & Ting law firm. In his opinion, this creates additional risks for customers, as tax collection may lead to loan delinquency.
The problem may attract attention again as the deadlines for paying property taxes approach. Since September, the Federal Tax Service has started sending notifications to Russians for 2025 — about 70 million in total. However, receiving the notification itself does not mean that there is a debt: restrictions are possible in case of non-payment of accrued amounts and subsequent debt collection.
What to do when credit card replenishment is blocked
In order not to face restrictions when paying off a credit card, first of all you should check for tax arrears. This can be done in the personal account of the Federal Tax Service or through Gosuslugi, advised Alexandra Pozharskaya, Deputy project manager of the Popular Front for Borrowers' Rights.
— It is necessary to understand why and in what amount the debt was formed. If a person does not agree, they can file an objection. This will suspend the collection procedure. While the tax service is reviewing the complaint, write-offs and blockages are not applied. If they refuse, you can go to court," she said.
If the Federal Tax Service has already made a decision on recovery, a citizen has seven working days left from the moment of his referral to pay off the debt or declare disagreement with it, Dmitry Chelnokov from Formula Consent explained. After that, the tax service can send an order to the bank to debit the money, so it is important to act quickly.
If this has already happened, then some financial institutions have the opportunity to pay off credit card debt bypassing the lock, lawyer Albert Anufriev added. For this purpose, ATMs are used, which automatically perform an operation to transfer funds, he said. Moreover, it is carried out even with the arrest of a checking account.
Also, according to Alexandra Pozharskaya, you can contact the bank and find out if there are alternative ways to make a payment: through the cashier in cash, by the number of the loan agreement, through a loan account. If he refuses, then you need to record this in a written request.
After paying off the tax debt, the Federal Tax Service sends the information necessary to remove the restrictions to the bank. However, restoring access to operations may take some time, usually one or two business days, Alexandra Pozharskaya noted. Therefore, as the mandatory payment date approaches, it is worthwhile to check in advance with the bank when the money will be able to be credited to the credit card repayment account.
If there is a delay during the restrictions or the bank has accrued additional interest and penalties, the borrower may apply for recalculation. It should be accompanied by a confirmation of the deposit and correspondence with the bank. However, the request itself does not guarantee the cancellation of charges: the decision will depend on the circumstances of the specific case.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
