Anyone who has ever received part of their salary in an envelope has surely heard from the employer: “It will be better this way – lower taxes, more take‑home pay.” But is that really the case? To understand what lies behind shadow wage payments, what risks they pose, and why ultimately the worker loses the most, was helped by the head of the control and audit department of the Gomel Regional Office of the Social Security Fund, Lydia Prutik.

When part of the wages is paid unofficially and the employer does not remit contributions and taxes, everyone loses: the state fails to receive revenue, mandatory payments do not flow into the budget, the employee is

In addition to significant amounts of accrued mandatory insurance contributions, the employer will face penalties and administrative fines. If the amount of unpaid contributions exceeds 20 base units, the official will be fined. In case of large amounts – from 2,500 base units – criminal liability applies.