Uzbekistan’s Tax Committee has exceeded its tax collection target for the first quarter of 2025, securing UZS 48.2 trillion ($3.7bn) for the state budget— UZS 2.7 trillion ($209mn) more than planned, according to the agency’s press service.
This marks a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when revenues stood at UZS 40.3 trillion ($3.1bn). In the regions, tax revenue growth was even higher, reaching 25%. The largest contributors to tax revenue were income tax (UZS 11.8 trillion, ($911.5mn)), value-added tax (VAT) (UZS 9.8 trillion, ($757mn)), and excise tax (UZS 4.5 trillion ($347.6mn)).
Uzbekistan’s 6.5% GDP growth in 2024 played a crucial role in this revenue increase. The country’s macroeconomic stability provided a strong foundation for tax collection. Thanks to improvements in tax policy and administration, state budget revenues for 2024 totaled UZS 199.5 trillion ($15.4bn), surpassing the initial forecast of UZS 196.5 trillion. This was UZS 33.5 trillion ($2.6bn) (20.2%) more than in 2023.
Among the regions, the highest tax revenue growth was recorded in Tashkent City (26.7%), followed by Syrdarya (24.6%), Tashkent (22.9%), Khorezm (19.5%), and Samarkand (17.7%) regions. In addition, tax audits identified UZS 486.3bn ($37.6mn) in uncollected taxes, of which UZS 418.7bn ($32.3mn) were successfully recovered.
Uzbekistan’s fiscal success was also supported by business formalization and digitalization efforts. In 2024, 129,300 new dehkan farms were registered, while 8,700 self-employed individuals transitioned into full-fledged entrepreneurs. Additionally, 947 businesses were reorganized into legal entities. Small business development in local communities led to the creation of 41,400 new jobs.
To enhance tax transparency and administration, the government introduced 74 new digital tax management tools. Electronic data exchange was expanded to 60 ministries and organizations, covering 238 integration areas. A digital marking system was launched to curb the shadow economy and protect consumer rights. By 2024, 3,500 businesses were registered in the system, cataloging over 100,000 product types and facilitating the production of 8.2bn marked goods.
One of the most significant tax policy advancements was the formalization of ride-hailing services. Since December 2023, digital taxi platforms such as YandexGo, Uklon, My Taxi, GeoGo, MegaGo, and TurboTaxi have been integrated into the tax system. This led to 497,900 drivers legalizing their status as self-employed individuals. In 2024, tax contributions from these aggregators reached UZS 156.8bn ($12mn), including UZS 66.2bn ($5mn) in VAT—a major increase from 2023, when the sector operated with minimal tax compliance.
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