Kazakhstan reports $350 million in tax payments from Apple, Google and Valve

According to Talgat Adilov, head of the Digital Asset Administration Department at Kazakhstan’s State Revenue Committee, the so-called «Google Tax» — a value-added tax (VAT) imposed on foreign internet platforms operating in the country — has produced positive results.

Introduced in 2022, the tax applies to foreign companies that sell goods and services online directly to individuals in Kazakhstan.

How many companies are paying?

There are currently 131 foreign internet companies officially registered in Kazakhstan. Last year, 20 companies joined the registry, while another 13 have registered so far this year.

Major taxpayers

Apple is the largest taxpayer among the registered companies. Since 2022, the tech giant has transferred approximately $49 million to Kazakhstan’s budget.

Google and Valve, the developer of the popular video games «Counter-Strike» and «Dota 2,» have also made significant contributions. Valve, for example, pays VAT on revenue generated from subscriptions and gaming services.

Adilov also said that Kazakhstan plans to introduce measures to block persistent tax defaulters later this year.

«We are holding discussions and meetings with companies. We will begin implementing this regulation within one to two months,» he said.

Overall results

«The results are good: approximately $350 million has been collected over the past four years, and about $82 million has been paid so far this year. We expect collections to reach between $184 million and $204.5 million by the end of the year,» Adilov said.

He added that the administration of digital assets is performing well and that tax revenues from the sector continue to grow steadily.