The Federal Tax Service asked to declare the legal entity of the book “Labyrinth” bankrupt

On November 19, the Moscow Federal Tax Service Inspectorate No. 15 sent a request to the capital’s Arbitration Court to declare Labyrinth Book Trading Company LLC bankrupt.

In September, the Federal Tax Service Inspectorate No. 25 in Moscow submitted the same application to another legal entity, Labyrinth, LLC Service Company Labyrinth. The first claim is not yet in the file of arbitration cases, the second has remained without progress, the publication clarified.

According to Vedomosti, in 2023-2024 Book Labyrinth, part of the holding company, accumulated significant debt with its suppliers. During this period, counterparties (including publishers Polyandria No Age, Sinbad, Ad Marginem and others) filed lawsuits against Labyrinth Bookselling Company LLC for failure to fulfill obligations under supply contracts in a total amount of more than 300 million rubles.

In July, Vedomosti wrote that Labyrinth employees began quitting en masse due to salary delays. The publication notes that since the end of 2023, employees at the company’s order distribution points have complained to the labor inspectorate about late payments and lack of payment for dismissals.

In 2023, the book holding company closed 24 points of sale, according to the Ministry of Digital Development’s sectoral report on the book market. In total, as of January 1, 2024, there were 79 Labyrinth stores operating in Russia.