Transparency in public finances is one of the main features of a mature democratic society, as well as one of the main tools for reducing corruption in the country. The level of transparency in the formation and use of budget funds at the state and local levels affects the effectiveness of financial policy in the country. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to determine the current state of transparency in the formation of the state budget of Ukraine. The article conducted a comprehensive study of the level of transparency of public finances at the macro level. The dynamics of changes in the qualitative level of transparency of legislative and executive bodies during the period of Ukraine's participation in the international organization of monitoring the publicity of the government before the public is analyzed. In particular, the authors analyzed the dynamics of the budget openness index in comparison with other countries and the integrated assessment of budget transparency for the period from 2008 to 2019. In addition, the level of public participation in budget formation at different stages of the budget process was studied. There is a positive trend of improving the level of openness of public authorities in Ukraine in the formation and use of public finances. This, in turn, is part of a global trend. The article presents a description of the main documents that serve as indicators of informing the public about the state of the budget, the level of its implementation, the formation of the budget for future periods and the budget process in general. It is determined that the system of transparent and accessible public accountability for the formation and use of public finances has not been formed yet. The results of the study can be the basis for developing measures to increase the level of transparency of public authorities in Ukraine. According to the study, a high level of transparency becomes the basis for public support for the government, provided that the government does not abuse its powers, or conversely becomes an incentive for active public participation in political and economic life to improve or change government. According to the results of the research, a system of measures of priority importance is proposed.