CURRENT STATE OF SMALL BUSINESS IN UKRAINE

In terms of European integration guidelines, small business, which covers all areas of the country's economic mechanism, is an important prerequisite for the functioning of the market economy. With the help of small enterprises, socioeconomic problems are solved — creation of additional jobs, saturation of the market with goods and services, development of competition, filling of local and state budgets, more population engaged in entrepreneurial activities, influence on the development of scientific and technical progress. The article summarizes the existing theoretical approaches to determining the economic essence of the definitions of «small entrepreneurship» and «small business» and offers a proper definition of these concepts. Regarding this issue, the regulatory and legislative framework for the regulation of small business in Ukraine has been considered and analyzed. The author has highlighted the following criteria for classifying business, entrepreneurship as small: annual revenue from the sale of products, works and services; the number of employees; mainly a simplified system of taxation and accounting and reporting. The practical significance of the ideas presented in the article lies in the study of the trend in the functioning of the number of small enterprises and the number of employees employed by them during the analyzed period. The peculiarity of the introduction of entrepreneurial activity in the conditions of martial law is singled out and a number of measures implemented by the state to reduce the tax pressure on small business entities and ensure optimal conditions of existence in the conditions of modern challenges are characterized. It was noted that there are gaps in the current legislation regarding the definition of small entrepreneurship and micro entrepreneurship, which in turn requires a faster solution, as it hinders the development of micro and small entrepreneurship in the country. The appropriate criteria for classifying business and entrepreneurship as small have been studied, the advantages and disadvantages of its operation have been highlighted, and the possible number of operating enterprises by 2025 based on existing trends has been predicted. Prospects for further research were especially relevant in the post-war period in the direction of developing theoretical and practical aspects of small business functioning.