Checking Russian subsidiary liability requires matching a person, a notice about the dispute and the relevant court decision. The Federal Tax Service register is a useful starting point. A missing entry does not establish that a director or business owner faces no claims.
This guide is for company directors, shareholders and counterparties assessing a business risk. The personal bankruptcy of an individual, or the insolvency of a company, does not by itself answer whether subsidiary liability has been claimed against that person.
⌕ Identify the person
Distinguish the debtor in the main case from the respondent to the liability claim.
▤ Read the document
Check the operative part and later decisions, rather than relying on a record summary.
⚖ Record the stage
Separate a filed claim, established grounds, the amount awarded and actual payment.
The FNS register has a defined scope
The official FNS page describes the service as operating in test mode. Its stated coverage concerns bankruptcy cases in which the tax authority is a creditor and other proceedings for damages against controlling persons. It is not presented as a comprehensive list of every subsidiary liability dispute in Russia.
Start with the official FNS register page, read its scope and select the appropriate search route. Record the date and exact search parameters. If the search is empty, write “no entry found using these parameters”, rather than “no subsidiary liability exists”.
Search for the debtor or the respondent?
| Your task | Official form | What to match |
|---|---|---|
| You know the company whose debts underlie the claim | Debtor search | The debtor’s INN or company name, followed by the person and case in the result |
| You are checking a particular director or other respondent | Respondent search | A lawfully obtained INN where available, the person’s full name or the organisation’s name |
| Several people share the same name | A possible match only | The organisation, the person’s role, case identifiers and details in the decision |
| A name changed or the company used a different brand | Check known variants | Documented changes rather than assumptions |
| No entry appears | Check the parameters and other sources | Spelling, the selected role, database scope and the date of the search |
The debtor search form provides fields for the individual or legal entity’s INN, organisation name, surname, given name and patronymic. Enter the known details, run the search and clear the form when needed. An INN entered here identifies the debtor, not automatically its director.
The respondent search form uses the corresponding details of the respondent. Decide whose role you are checking before entering information. The same name in two different roles does not make the results identical. Avoid submitting unnecessary personal information or guessing strangers’ identifiers.
EFRSB and KAD: move from an entry to the dispute
Article 61.22 of the Bankruptcy Law provides for EFRSB publication of information about a subsidiary liability application and decisions on its merits, including review decisions. The published information identifies the persons and the claimed or court-established amount, with an exception where the amount cannot yet be determined when the application is filed. An application notice therefore must not be treated as a final award.
For an application outside the bankruptcy proceedings, paragraph 3 requires the applicant to publish the information within three working days after the court accepts the application. This is a specific rule for that situation. It is not a universal promise that every entry appears immediately after documents are sent.
- Locate the main debtor’s EFRSB record using verified details and examine the notices concerning the dispute. Save the notice number and date.
- Open the official arbitration case database, KAD. Use a known case number. When searching by participant, check the organisation and the person’s role.
- Within the case, locate documents concerning the particular respondent and legal ground. Save the available first-instance, appeal and cassation decisions.
- Check whether the initial result was reversed, the dispute was remitted for reconsideration, or the amount was established in a later separate decision.
The KAD form offers filters for participant, judge, court, case number and registration date. An empty result using one set of parameters calls for checking the input. A bankruptcy case contains many disputes: its general title does not establish liability for every person mentioned in the file.
For the general notices route, see checking EFRSB publications. For personal insolvency status, see checking an individual’s bankruptcy. Those checks supplement a liability search but answer different questions.
An application, grounds, an amount and payment are distinct results
| What you found | What can be recorded | What cannot yet be concluded |
|---|---|---|
| The court accepted an application | A dispute exists and the applicant seeks liability | That the respondent already owes the amount claimed |
| Grounds were established and the amount issue was stayed | The court has ruled on the grounds; the amount remains to be examined | That any figure in a notice is the final award |
| A decision ordering recovery of a specified amount | The amount, respondents, beneficiaries, liability arrangement and review status | That the creditor has received the money |
| A refusal or reversal of the initial decision | The precise effect and limits of the later judicial result | That an earlier database entry still describes the current outcome |
| A payment document | Documented performance of the relevant obligation | That the entire obligation is discharged without checking other payments |
Article 61.16(7) permits the court to establish grounds for liability under Article 61.11 and stay consideration pending determination of the amount. That ruling and a refusal may be appealed. Keep a separate field in your report for any later decision fixing the amount.
Illustrative example. The application claims RUB 4,000,000. A later decision awards RUB 2,600,000. The documents supplied establish RUB 600,000 paid towards that same obligation. The arithmetic balance is RUB 2,000,000, provided the documents are complete, there were no other recoveries and the payments relate to this debt. The claimed sum, award and payment must not be added together to create a new debt.
What to retain in a verification file
Keep a compact file containing the person’s and company’s identifying details, the search date and parameters, links and notice numbers, the case number, copies of decisions and unresolved questions. A screenshot records the page at the time it was viewed; it does not replace the complete court decision.
Document request framework: “To verify the information in case No. …, please provide the decision resolving the claim against …, subsequent review decisions, documents establishing performance and an explanation of any difference from notice No. … dated …”. Use only details actually found. Do not fill evidential gaps with assumptions.
If the file establishes only that an application was made, record precisely that. If the person has not been identified conclusively, leave the possible match unconfirmed. To assess the claim itself, separately review the application structure and supporting documents.
Questions about checking subsidiary liability
Does an empty FNS search mean there is no liability?
No. The service has a limited stated scope. Check the search parameters, notices and documents in any known case, and state the limits of the result in your report.
Is a matching surname and given name enough?
No. Match lawfully available identifiers, the organisation and the documents. A person with the same name must not inherit someone else’s record in your conclusion.
Is the amount in an application already the respondent’s debt?
No. Check the judicial result, any separate decision fixing the amount, subsequent review and performance. Label a figure from an application as the amount claimed.
Can I check only whether the director personally went bankrupt?
That is a different enquiry. Personal insolvency neither establishes nor disproves a liability claim arising from the managed company’s debts.
Can the search guarantee that no future claims will arise?
No such conclusion follows from public search results. The report records information found and remaining gaps on a specific date; it does not promise that no new claims will be brought.
Sources checked: 26 October 2026. The official FNS register description and the debtor and respondent forms linked above; Article 61.22 and Article 61.16 of Federal Law No. 127-FZ, current version dated 4 August 2026; and the official KAD search interface. Changes not yet effective on the verification date have not been applied. This guide concerns Russian law.
Found a record but need to establish whose case it is and which decision remains effective? An initial consultation can examine identity matching, the documents and the limits of the conclusion. Prepare the case number and decisions found; the assessment depends on their contents.