Currently, the problems of taxation of mineral extraction in the Russian Federation are very relevant, which is due not only to the formation of the monetary fund of the state, designed to finance the solution of various national tasks, but also to the rational use of natural resources. The mineral extraction tax (MET) is systemically important from the standpoint of the formation of tax revenues of the budget system of the Russian Federation. The industry specifics of the Russian economy, the predominance of extractive industries in GDP, and ensuring the profitability of the activities of extractive companies determine the significant attention of the state, business, and science to the issues of collection, administration, distribution, and reform of the mineral extraction tax. The subject of the study is the MET in the tax system of the Russian Federation. The methodological basis of the research consists of analysis, synthesis, ascent from the abstract to the particular, logical and historical methods, as well as other general scientific methods. The place and role of the MET in the tax system of the Russian Federation are considered, the place of this tax in the system of payments for the use of natural resources levied on the territory of our country is determined. Based on the statistical reports of the Federal Tax Service of the Russian Federation, it has been established that the receipts of mineral extraction tax are steadily increasing from year to year. This trend is due to an increase in the production of such types of hydrocarbon raw materials as oil, natural gas and gas condensate. It is determined that the contribution of the subjects of the Russian Federation to the formation of the monetary fund of the country is unequal, due to the difference in the mineral resource base in the regions. It is shown that in the coming decades Russia has a powerful potential to increase the tax revenues of the budget system through taxation of hydrocarbon production. The problems of taxation of mineral extraction in Russia are highlighted. The author comes to the conclusion that the budget system of the Russian Federation has a significant tax potential in the field of taxation of natural resources extraction, provided that favorable conditions for doing business are created.