Ildar Metshin: "I don't remember a time when entrepreneurs had calm times."

      Since the beginning of the year, 10.1 thousand small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have closed in Kazan, while about 8.1 thousand have opened; most often, trading and service sector enterprises left the market.

      About 84 thousand SMEs are registered in Kazan.

      The turnover of small and medium-sized businesses in Kazan reached 396 billion rubles by the end of the first half of 2026. This was reported at the business Monday by the deputy head of the city executive committee, Ildar Shakirov. Today, 188.7 thousand people work in the SME sector, which is 2.2% more than a year ago. The average salary in small enterprises has increased from 39.1 to 58.8 thousand rubles during this time. In total, about 84 thousand small and medium-sized enterprises are registered in Kazan. Of these, nearly 35 thousand are small and micro-enterprises, 347 are medium-sized companies, and more than 48 thousand are individual entrepreneurs. In addition, about 170 thousand self-employed individuals work in the city.

      Most SMEs operate in trade and services, accounting for 35% of the sector. This is followed by construction, professional, scientific and technical activities, transportation and storage, as well as manufacturing.

      "Analysis of the situation shows that small and medium-sized businesses in Kazan are undergoing transformation but still retain their status as one of the main drivers of the city's economy. The numbers speak for themselves: small and medium-sized businesses account for 42.5% of Kazan's territorial product. Compared to last year, both the number of companies and their employees have increased. This indicates the resilience of the city's economy. We still do not put all our eggs in one basket but develop various directions – from the self-employed to large businesses," commented Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin on the results.

      Small businesses are restructuring under new tax rules.

      One of the main challenges for small and medium-sized businesses in 2026 has been the tax reform. For enterprises under the simplified taxation system, the income threshold for working without paying VAT has been lowered: now companies with an annual income of up to 20 million rubles can take advantage of this opportunity instead of the previous 60 million. In addition, the basic VAT rate has increased from 20% to 22%, and the conditions for applying the patent system have become stricter.

      As a result, nearly 5.8 thousand Kazan companies and entrepreneurs have become VAT payers. This is about 7% of all small and medium-sized businesses in the city. The changes have mostly affected trading, construction, and manufacturing enterprises.

      One way to adapt to the new tax rules has been the transition to the automated simplified taxation system (ASTS). Since the beginning of the year, more than 4 thousand SMEs in Kazan have chosen this regime.

      "ASTS is an experimental special tax regime for small businesses, where reporting is maximally simplified and minimized, and taxes are calculated automatically. The main factor for choosing this regime remains the exemption from VAT," noted Ildar Shakirov, deputy head of the Kazan executive committee.

      At the same time, benefits have been preserved for certain sectors. For example, catering enterprises under the simplified taxation system are exempt from paying VAT until the end of 2026 if at least 70% of their income for 2025 comes from their main type of activity.

      In total, in the first half of the year, SMEs transferred 6.7 billion rubles to the Kazan budget. This is 0.5% less than in the same period last year. This year, financial support has been utilized by 656 SMEs – the total amount of assistance exceeded 8 billion rubles.

      The number of closed companies has exceeded the number of new ones.

      Changes in business operating conditions have reflected on the number of active companies. Since the beginning of the year, more than 10.1 thousand small and medium-sized enterprises have ceased operations in Kazan, while about 8.1 thousand new ones have been registered, reported Ildar Shakirov.

      Most closures occurred in trade and services – more than 3.8 thousand enterprises left the market. In construction, about 1.3 thousand companies ceased operations, in the transportation sector – 825, and in manufacturing – 601.

      Among the main reasons for ceasing operations, entrepreneurs cite the increase in tax burden and high loan rates. The increase in tax burden accounts for 72% of business inquiries, while another 23% are related to expensive borrowed funds.

      At the same time, entrepreneurs continued to open new companies. The most new entities appeared in trade and services – 2.2 thousand. More than 1 thousand new enterprises were registered in construction, 790 in the transportation sector, and 396 in manufacturing.

      "The growth is ensured by the development of trade, catering, and services. This segment accounts for 35% of all entrepreneurs in Kazan. Much of this is the result of our systematic work and policy to develop domestic tourism. Today, this is yielding real results. The operation of a thousand restaurants, cafes, service enterprises, and trade has allowed the formation of an entire sector of the economy, in which tens of thousands of people support the stability of the city’s economy during this challenging period," emphasized Ilsur Metshin.

      New markets, external connections, and additional support measures.

      Entrepreneurs have been working in challenging conditions for several years. The pressure on businesses is constantly changing; however, companies continue to develop and maintain jobs, noted Metshin.

      "I don't remember any calm times for entrepreneurs during my tenure as mayor when they were just creating. It's always one thing or another. But, to the credit of our entrepreneurs, they are coping with this admirably," said the mayor.

      He acknowledged that the increase in the number of closing enterprises is concerning. At the same time, a similar situation is developing in other regions of the country.

      According to the mayor, the city will continue to use existing support measures for entrepreneurs: rental holidays, free placement of summer verandas on municipal land, assistance to certain sectors, and business support. In addition, companies can take advantage of training, skills development, participation in exhibitions and fairs, as well as assistance in entering external markets. This year, 2.8 thousand SMEs have utilized such tools.

      A separate focus is on finding new markets. Since the beginning of the year, more than a hundred Kazan entrepreneurs have participated in meetings with foreign partners from Asia and the CIS countries. The work was carried out jointly with the Entrepreneurship Support Fund of Tatarstan. After the business mission to Minsk, new agreements were signed, and the implementation of joint projects began.

      The expansion of business connections is already yielding results: Kazan suppliers received orders worth 110 billion rubles, of which 29 billion rubles were from outside Tatarstan. The city will continue to help entrepreneurs enter new markets and develop cooperation with partners from other regions and countries.

      Photo: © Vladimir Vasiliev / "Tatar-inform"