Tutoring in Russia: status, meaning, concerns

The paper deals with the topical issues of the legal and financial status of a tutor. The database of the famous job search website www.trud.com serves as the basis for the analysis. The research investigates the social and legal status of tutors and the indicators of their activity, assesses the quality of their services, and identifies tax and other risks of the actors involved in this process. The study focuses on the background to tutoring and its impacts on the Russian economy. When examining the aggregate demand and aggregate supply on the tutoring market and the legal regulation of relations in this field, the authors evaluate the properties of tutoring and the effectiveness of measures to control this market. The historical, statistical, and logical analysis and a comparative review of the Russian tutoring market help reveal the reasons for tax evasion and illegal behavior in this regard. The emphasis is placed on Russian economic losses caused by tutors’ failure to pay taxes on the one hand and the positive aspects of tutoring and the demand for it on the other. The proposals are developed to regulate tutoring in the education system under transformation. It is concluded that the shadow tutoring market is a comprehensive and widespread phenomenon. Its regulation should be guided by scientific explanation, legal and economic factors, supply and demand in order to take advantage of tutoring opportunities, minimize the threats posed by the shadow economy, and attract additional funds to the state budget. The research findings can be applied by public managers of the labor market and the Federal Tax Service of Russia.