"Google tax" brings Kazakhstan 178.8 billion tenge: Who paid the most?
According to the State Revenue Committee, 133 foreign companies are currently registered as VAT payers under the system. They include Apple, Amazon, Alibaba, Adobe, Canva, Google, iHerb, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, Ozon, OpenAI, Temu, TikTok, Samsung, Sony and Zoom.
The “Google tax” is VAT paid by foreign companies that sell goods online to consumers in Kazakhstan or provide them with electronic services.
Temu-linked company leads tax payments
Foreign companies paid 57.6 billion tenge in VAT in 2025. The largest payment came from Singapore-registered Elementary Innovation Pte. Ltd., which is linked to the Temu marketplace. It paid 13.3 billion tenge.
Apple followed with 11.2 billion tenge, while Valve, the company behind Steam, paid 10.3 billion tenge. Google paid 7.3 billion tenge and iHerb 4.9 billion tenge.
Other major taxpayers included Meta, TikTok and AliExpress.
Several other well-known services also paid VAT in 2025:
· Netflix: 353.9 million tenge
· Spotify AB: 293.1 million tenge
· Zoom: 183.2 million tenge
· Nintendo: 54 million tenge
· Coursera: 33.2 million tenge
· Samsung Electronics: 9 million tenge
· IMDb.com: 375,700 tenge
Not every registered foreign company pays VAT in a given period. The State Revenue Committee said the tax is charged when a company sells goods or provides services to consumers in Kazakhstan. Therefore, a company with no reported payment may simply have had no taxable sales or services in the country during that period.
Revenue from the “Google tax” has increased every year:
· 2022: 10.4 billion tenge
· 2023: 24.3 billion tenge
· 2024: 35 billion tenge
· 2025: 57.6 billion tenge
· January 1 to August 1, 2026: 51.5 billion tenge
The sharpest increase came in 2025, when payments rose by 22.6 billion tenge compared with the previous year.
In the first seven months of 2026, foreign digital companies have already paid 51.5 billion tenge, nearly matching the total collected throughout 2025. If the current pace continues, payments for the full year could set another record.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Google had been selected to acquire a large package of Spirit Airlines’ business data for $10 million in a bankruptcy auction.
