Tax Free pilot project implementation period was extended in Kazakhstan. The system for refunding value-added tax (VAT) on purchases made by foreign tourists will now remain valid until the end of 2024. According to the Kazakh Finance Ministry, this extension was facilitated by both the expansion of participant locations and increase in their numbers. Initially, the pilot project included three cities in the country, namely Astana, Almaty and Turkistan, and now Shymkent has also joined them.
“The pilot project has been implemented since 2019, initially only in the city of Almaty. Last year, it was expanded to include Astana and Turkistan. Starting this year, on the initiative of the local authorities, the city of Shymkent has been added to the list due to its significance as a key tourism hub in the country. The metropolis consistently demonstrates annual growth in tourist arrivals. Since the start of the pilot, foreign tourists have made purchases exceeding 500 million tenge and received VAT refunds amounting to 40 million tenge. It was utilized by travelers from over 40 countries,” said Duman Kanseitov, spokesperson for the Kazakh State Revenue Committee.
