Kazakhstan considers scrapping VAT on QR payment services

Kazakhstan is considering a broader VAT exemption for digital payments as QR codes, mobile transfers, electronic money and the digital tenge become more common among consumers.

Deputy Prime Minister and National Economy Minister Serik Zhumangarin raised the proposal at a meeting of the project office overseeing implementation of the country’s tax code. The plan would cover services supporting QR payments, transfers by phone number, electronic money and the digital tenge.

VAT currently does not apply to operations involving payment cards. Financial regulators want to extend the same relief to other cashless payment methods, arguing that Kazakhstan’s payment market has changed substantially in recent years. They say common tax rules are needed across different forms of non-cash settlement.

Kazakhstan also updated its payments legislation in 2026 and expanded the definition of payment-card operations. That change created a need to clarify the related tax rules. Zhumangarin backed the development of newer payment tools, including QR payments and the digital tenge, but ordered officials to provide calculations showing that removing VAT from their servicing would make economic sense.

The proposal is not yet final. The Finance Ministry, the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market and the National Bank will further examine the initiative, refine the legislation and estimate its possible effect on the economy and the budget.