If you are a self-employed person and receive payment from foreign customers - IT project, design, consulting or any other freelance - sooner or later you will be faced with the question: how to correctly get currency into the account, at what rate it is converted and how much to pay to the state. We analyze which group of the single tax is suitable, what with the mandatory sale of proceeds and where you really lose money on conversion.
Which single tax group is suitable for working with non-residents
Both the second and third groups of FPOs can work with foreign customers, but in practice, almost everyone who systematically receives payment from abroad chooses the third group. The reason is simple: the second group officially allows providing services only to single tax payers and the population, and a foreign company does not meet these criteria. Formally, it is difficult to circumvent this, and the tax office catches the second group of FOPs that issue invoices abroad precisely on this. If you plan permanent income from non-residents, immediately look in the direction of the third group - there are no restrictions on the counterparty, there is a limit of annual income and a single tax rate without VAT. More details about the difference between the groups and how not to miscalculate with the choice - in the article FOP 2 or 3 group in 2026.
What exactly can be sold to a foreign client
KVED must correspond to the type of activity, and the service must be formalized by a contract or at least a deed, even if the client pays through Payoneer without a formal contract. When checking, the bank and the tax office look specifically at the documentary evidence that the receipt is payment for services, and not a random transfer.
How does the money get from the customer to the FOP account
There are several ways of working, and each has its own price in fees and time:
- SWIFT transfer directly to the FOP's currency account - suitable for large amounts, the bank charges a fee for the incoming transfer and may request documents confirming the origin of the funds.
- Payoneer or Wise - convenient for single and medium amounts, money is withdrawn to a card or account in hryvnias with conversion at the service rate.
- FOP foreign currency account in the bank - monobank, PrivatBank, Sens Bank and others offer separate currency accounts for entrepreneurs specifically for such transfers.
- Cryptocurrency - a legally more complicated option, the income still needs to be declared, and separate taxation rules apply here, which are described in the article about taxation of cryptocurrencies in Ukraine.
Compulsory sale of foreign currency proceeds: what is in effect now
In recent years, the National Bank of Ukraine has revised several times the requirements for the mandatory sale of a part of the foreign exchange earnings of legal entities and entrepreneurs - and the norms have changed depending on the situation on the foreign exchange market. Therefore, it is better to check the specific percentage or whether the requirement applies at all right before withdrawing a large amount - in your bank or on the NBU website. For small amounts, typical of freelancing, this is usually not critical, but if you regularly make thousands of dollars a month, it is worth keeping your finger on the pulse of changes in currency regulation.
What is the conversion rate and where do you lose money
The biggest loss for the FOP is not taxes, but the exchange rate difference between the interbank rate and what the bank or payment service offers when converting to hryvnia. The difference can be 1-3% of the amount, and on a constant stream of payments, this is noticeable money for a year.
As of November 13, 2026, the difference between the banks is already noticeable: the NBU fixes USD at UAH 45.38, EUR at UAH 50.34. At the same time, monobank buys a dollar for UAH 45.46, and PrivatBank - in the range of UAH 45.30-45.45, depending on the channel. Monobank gives UAH 50.33 for a euro purchase, PrivatBank - UAH 50.20-50.32. The difference is small, but if you withdraw, say, $2,000 every month, choosing a bank with a better purchase rate gives you an extra thousand or two hryvnias per year without any effort. Always look at the current figures at the time of withdrawal on the page comparing banks' exchange rates or in live courses currencies on the site.
Comparison of payment methods
Оподаткування доходу від іноземних замовників
For the FOP of the third group, income from a non-resident is taxed in the same way as income from a Ukrainian client: a single tax at the rate for the group without VAT, plus a single social contribution from the minimum wage. To this is added the military levy, the rate and rules of payment of which have changed periodically, so the exact percentage at the time of payment should be checked in the current version of the Tax Code or with an accountant, and not be guided by the figure from last year's article.
The date of receipt of income for tax purposes is the date of receipt of funds in the account (including the account with Payoneer or Wise, if it is declared as a source of income of the FOP), and not the date of issuing the invoice. This is important to correctly determine the quarter in which the amount must be declared.
Common mistakes that cost money
- Receiving payment to a personal card instead of a FOP account - the bank can block transfers and demand explanations about the source of funds.
- Absence of a contract or deed - when checking, it is difficult to prove that the income is related to business activity.
- Ignoring the exchange rate difference between banks - at a distance of a year, this is thousands of hryvnias of lost income.
- Пізнє декларування доходу через плутанину з датою надходження коштів.
Frequently asked questions
Чи можна ФОП другої групи працювати з іноземним замовником?
Formally, the second group is limited to work with single tax payers and individuals, and a foreign company does not meet this requirement. In practice, this means the risk of a fine and the need to switch to the third group, so for stable work with non-residents it is better to immediately choose the third group.
Чи обов'язково продавати валютну виручку, отриману від закордонного клієнта?
The requirements for the mandatory sale of a part of foreign exchange earnings have changed several times and depend on the current policy of the NBU. Before withdrawing a large amount, you should clarify the current rules directly with the bank, since the rate and the very fact of the claim may differ from what was in effect a year ago.
Як вигідніше конвертувати долари чи євро від клієнта в гривню?
Compare the currency purchase rate from several banks before withdrawal - the difference between the worst and the best offer often reaches 1-3%. Для цього достатньо глянути порівняння курсів банків на сайті в день виведення коштів, а не орієнтуватися на курс, який бачив тиждень тому.
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