Over 100,000 Almaty residents stand to reap tax amnesty benefits before year-end.
In a significant move to boost tax compliance, the Department of State Revenues of Almaty has announced a tax amnesty for penalties on property tax, land tax, and vehicle tax. The announcement was made during an online briefing by Orynkul Kazieva, Deputy Head of the Department of State Revenues of Almaty, and Zhanaбай Agmanov, Deputy Head of the Department of Justice of Almaty.
The tax amnesty, available until the end of 2020, aims to provide relief for individual debtors who have fallen behind on their tax payments. As of today, 84,511 taxpayers in Almaty have taken advantage of the amnesty, with 209.2 million tenge in penalties written off and 1.9 billion tenge in principal debt paid.
Individuals who pay their outstanding taxes by December 31, 2020, will have penalties written off, provided they were on the taxpayer's account as of April 1, 2020. It's important to note that this norm does not apply to individuals registered as individual entrepreneurs or those engaged in private practice, except when their tax liabilities are not related to entrepreneurial activities, private notary, bailiff, lawyer, or mediator activities.
Bailiffs initiate enforcement proceedings, which include freezing accounts, freezing movable and immovable property, and seizing property. To avoid such actions, citizens are encouraged to voluntarily pay their fines. Agmanov also mentioned that data on unexecuted tax orders and debt collection from individuals is received by the tax authorities.
Citizens can contact the call centers of the Department of State Revenues in Almaty at 1414 for inquiries, and for questions about notices, they can contact the Department of Justice of the city at +7 (727) 291 8526, +7 707 615 1395. State revenues offices will also be available for taxpayers on the weekends of December 17 and 18, including in the offices of AO "Kazpost".
The tax amnesty is part of broader tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax declarations and reducing administrative burdens. In Kazakhstan, past amnesties have included the forgiveness of certain debts up to a specified limit and extended to vulnerable groups. The exact deadlines for the Almaty tax amnesty are yet to be announced, though they are typically aligned with tax filing deadlines.
For detailed and current official guidance specific to Almaty tax amnesty, it is advisable to consult the local tax authority announcements or the Ministry of Finance as the new Tax Code and related laws are finalized and implemented. Citizens can also check their tax debt status on the website of the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan, or using the eSalyq mobile app.
In the context of the Almaty tax amnesty, individuals are given an opportunity to pay off their outstanding property, land, and vehicle taxes, with penalties written off if the payment is made by December 31, 2020. This initiative is a part of larger tax reforms aimed at simplifying the tax declaration process and lessening administrative burdens within the business and finance sectors in Kazakhstan.
