Apple surpassed Meta and Google to become the largest foreign taxpayer among IT companies operating in Uzbekistan in the first quarter of 2025, according to the country’s Tax Committee.
Between January and March 2025, 68 foreign digital service providers collectively paid UZS 36.2bn ($2.79mn) in taxes—marking a 42% increase from the same period last year.
A staggering 94.5% of the tax revenue came from just ten major companies, highlighting the dominance of global tech giants in Uzbekistan’s digital economy.
Apple topped the list by contributing UZS 10.67bn ($824,256), edging out Meta, which paid UZS 10.51bn ($811,896). Together, the two tech giants accounted for half of all taxes paid and services rendered by foreign IT companies in the country.
Google followed with UZS 8.93bn ($690,635), while OpenAI—registered in Uzbekistan for the first time this year—entered the top five with UZS 1.09bn ($84,299). TikTok, despite being officially blocked in Uzbekistan, rounded out the top five with UZS 934.8mn ($72,213) in taxes.
Other notable contributors included:
- Booking.com – UZS 542.7mn ($41,924)
- Netflix – UZS 467.6mn ($36,122)
- Zoom – UZS 432.6mn ($33,457)
- ACCA – UZS 427mn ($33,024)
- Xsolla – UZS 235.6mn ($18,200)
The total value of services provided by foreign IT companies reached UZS 306.6bn ($23.7mn), a 47% increase compared to the same period last year. This growth reflects the rising demand for digital products and services in Uzbekistan.
Since the beginning of 2025, six new foreign IT firms—Alibaba Cloud, eBay, Bloomberg LP, OpenAI, DigitalOcean, and ivi.ru—have registered with Uzbekistan’s Tax Committee to comply with VAT obligations.
Uzbekistan introduced tax obligations for foreign digital companies in 2020. Under this “Google tax” system, international tech firms must pay VAT if they sell digital goods or services to individuals in Uzbekistan. A dedicated VAT office facilitates registration and compliance for these entities.
In 2023, foreign IT companies paid nearly UZS 70bn ($5.4mn) in taxes—56.2% more than in 2022. TikTok, although blocked in the country, was among the top ten contributors last year as well.
Tax contributions from foreign IT firms in Uzbekistan jumped 1.5 times in 2024, totaling UZS 115.8bn ($8.96mn). The overall value of electronic services delivered by foreign companies increased 1.5 times, climbing from UZS 635.7bn ($49.1mn) to UZS 959bn ($74mn).
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