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Foreign marketplaces should be required to pay VAT and other taxes on sales to Kazakh consumers. This proposal was put forward by Azat Peruashev, leader of the Ak Zhol party faction in the Mazhilis (the lower house of parliament), in an appeal to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, Vlast.kz reports.
“The Ak Zhol parliamentary faction proposes introducing a mandatory registration requirement for foreign marketplaces with Kazakhstan’s tax authorities. Following India’s example, we should consider obligating foreign marketplaces to collaborate with Kazakh platforms and manufacturers. They must also pay VAT and other taxes on income derived from Kazakh consumers,” Peruashev stated.
Additionally, he called for reviewing the threshold for duty-free imports via foreign marketplaces, suggesting that the current limit of €200 should be lowered or eliminated.
According to the deputy, in 2023, foreign marketplaces supplied goods worth 505 billion tenge ($1 billion) to Kazakhstan, yet paid only 24 billion tenge ($48 million) in taxes—just 4.8% of their turnover.
“The fiscal burden on Kazakh marketplaces for the same imported goods is estimated by experts at 16.3%—nearly four times higher. Meanwhile, Kazakh entrepreneurs operating through local platforms are required to pay up to 62% in various fees,” he noted.
As a result, foreign marketplaces such as Temu, Amazon, and AliExpress, which “do not have a physical presence in Kazakhstan,” enjoy an unfair competitive advantage, he argued.
Peruashev’s proposal comes amid Kazakhstan’s ongoing tax reform discussions. The draft legislation suggests increasing the VAT rate from 12% to 16% (with a reduced 10% rate for certain industries). Additionally, the VAT registration threshold would be lowered from 78.6 million tenge ($150,000) to 15 million tenge ($29,000). The bill, which has sparked debate among business owners, has already been submitted for parliamentary review.
