Source Parliamentary session of the Kazakhstan Parliament (Mäjilis) held on April 9, 2025. Following VAT measures were approved:
- VAT Rate Increase: The proposed Tax Code includes an increase in the VAT rate from 12% to 16%, which has raised concerns about its impact on consumers and businesses, particularly in the context of rising prices.
- VAT Threshold: A new threshold for VAT registration is set at 40 million tenge, up from the previously discussed 15 million tenge. This change aims to reduce the burden on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and prevent them from being forced into the VAT system too early.
- Exemptions for Essential Goods: The legislation proposes complete VAT exemptions for socially significant food products, book publishing, and certain medicines, which is intended to alleviate the financial burden on consumers and maintain affordability.
- VAT on Medical Services: Concerns were raised about the introduction of VAT on medical services, which could lead to increased costs for patients and reduce access to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable populations.
- Special Tax Regimes: The discussion included maintaining special tax regimes for small and medium businesses to ensure they are not unduly burdened by VAT obligations, allowing them to operate without the complications of VAT registration.
- Compensation Mechanisms: There were calls for the government to implement compensation mechanisms for socially vulnerable groups to mitigate the impact of VAT increases on their living costs.
- Impact on Agricultural Producers: The discussion emphasized the need for a balanced approach regarding VAT for agricultural producers, with suggestions to maintain or adjust VAT exemptions to ensure sustainability in the agricultural sector.
- Transparency and Monitoring: There were suggestions for increased transparency and monitoring of VAT implementation, particularly regarding compliance and the potential for tax avoidance or evasion.
Source parlam.kz
