“Secret Santa”: Kazakh citizens are transferring money to each other

On social media, Kazakh citizens are sharing screenshots from banking apps showing money received in their accounts. Some photos show deposits of tens of thousands of tenge, while others show amounts exceeding one million tenge. Users are encouraging each other to participate in a cash “Secret Santa” game, transferring money to one another as a way to increase income, reports Nur.kz.

The Ministry of Finance’s Committee of State Revenues (CSR) has commented on this trend. According to the committee, if a person receives money in their account from 100 or more different individuals over three consecutive months, and the total amount exceeds the equivalent of 12 times the monthly calculation index, the bank may report this person’s data to the CSR. Such operations may be considered as income from entrepreneurial activity.

The press service noted that banks only report data for individuals who meet these criteria.