Uzbekistan Explores Tax Rules and Digital Tools for Bloggers

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A press conference titled “Tax Cooperation: Digitalization and Experience Sharing” was held at the Sputnik Uzbekistan multimedia center, focusing on improving tax administration and introducing modern digital solutions.

The event featured Hamdambek Bobojonov, Deputy Director of the Revenue Forecasting Department at the State Tax Committee of Uzbekistan, and Kamola Akhmedjanova, Chief State Tax Inspector of the Economic Analysis and Shadow Economy Monitoring Department. Officials discussed international and regional approaches to monitoring the income of bloggers and online creators, the adoption of service-oriented methods by tax authorities, and the development of digital tools and media channels for citizen engagement.

According to the State Tax Committee, Uzbekistan has over 2,000 bloggers, a significant portion of whose income remains in the informal sector. Akhmedjanova noted that with over 14.1 million social media users in the country—roughly 38% of the population—bloggers’ activities require more effective accounting and tax oversight.

“Our analysis of 110 bloggers showed that 55 are registered as self-employed, 33 as individual entrepreneurs, and 22 as private individuals. Only 66 of them have paid taxes. Their total turnover is 27.2 billion soums, yet taxes were paid on just 1 billion soums. A large share of income remains undeclared,” she said.

The review of the online advertising market highlighted the need for tracking mechanisms. In response, the State Tax Committee, together with the Ministry of Justice, is developing a framework for labeling online ads to record the volume of sponsored posts on social media.

Uzbekistan also plans to implement a Unified Tax Account (UTS) system, following Russia’s experience. Bobojonov explained that the UTS will simplify taxpayer payments to the government and improve tax administration efficiency. The system will first be launched in a test region before being expanded nationwide.

At the end of February, a delegation from the State Tax Committee visited Moscow to exchange experiences with Russian counterparts, focusing on digitalization, service-oriented approaches, media engagement, and the Unified Tax Account system.