Foreign Tech Giants Pour Billions into Kazakhstan’s Budget: Who Paid the Most?

Foreign digital services and marketplaces continue to inject substantial funds into Kazakhstan's national budget. Thanks to the "Google tax" introduced in 2022, the state treasury has accumulated 178.8 billion tenge. In the first seven months of 2026 alone, revenues reached 51.5 billion tenge, putting the country on track to break last year's record. According to the State Revenue Committee, 133 foreign companies are currently registered as value-added tax (VAT) payers in Kazakhstan, Kazinform reports.

The roster includes global powerhouses such as Apple, Google, Meta, TikTok, Temu, and Amazon. Leading the top taxpayers in 2025 was Singapore-based Elementary Innovation Pte. Ltd., the entity behind the Temu marketplace, contributing 13.3 billion tenge. Apple took second place with 11.2 billion tenge, followed by Valve - owner of the Steam gaming platform - which contributed 10.3 billion tenge. Additionally, Google paid 7.3 billion tenge, while the online retailer iHerb contributed 4.9 billion tenge. 

(Infographic: Kazinform / AI)

Popular streaming and educational platforms also contributed significantly to the state budget:

• 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: 375.7 thousand tenge

The State Revenue Committee emphasized that this VAT applies strictly when goods or services are provided to local consumers. Tax receipts have seen exponential growth over the years, rising from 10.4 billion tenge in 2022 to 57.6 billion tenge in 2025. Experts project that total collections for 2026 will surpass all previous historical milestones.