What Happened
The Committee of State Revenues of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan announced the completion of the integration of its information systems with the Digital Tenge Platform regarding customs documents. The work has been ongoing since the beginning of the year with the participation of the national operator of the platform — JSC "National Payment Corporation" — and JSC "Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan".
The implemented mechanism is intended for the payment of value-added tax on imports using the digital tenge. Participants in the pilot project can initiate such a payment as part of the process related to the processing of customs documents.
The integration combines two elements: the customs information systems of the Committee of State Revenues and the infrastructure of the Digital Tenge Platform. As a result, operations with the digital tenge are included in the digital framework of customs clearance. However, the published data does not specify the detailed sequence of user actions, the list of supported documents, connection conditions, and the schedule for expanding the pilot.
This is specifically about a pilot mechanism, so the completion of technical integration should not be automatically interpreted as a mandatory transition for all importers to the new calculation method.
Who It Concerns and How to Prepare
This news is primarily important for participants in the pilot project who are processing imports and paying VAT through Kazakhstan's customs procedures. It is also of practical interest to accountants, foreign economic activity specialists, customs representatives, financial departments, and employees responsible for company payments.
Organizations considering participation in such operations should proactively allocate areas of responsibility. A foreign economic activity specialist can check which customs documents pertain to a specific shipment, the accounting department can match the payment with accounting data, and the financial department can clarify the procedure for working with the digital tenge and the servicing bank.
Before conducting the operation, it is advisable to:
- confirm that the company is indeed included among the participants in the pilot project;
- clarify with the Committee of State Revenues and the servicing bank the available procedure for initiating the payment;
- check which information systems, authorizations, and methods of authentication will be required;
- coordinate within the company the actions of the foreign economic activity specialist, accountant, and the employee responsible for the payment;
- retain documents and confirmations generated during customs clearance and VAT payment;
- pre-determine whom to contact in case of discrepancies in payment statuses in the banking and customs systems.
Particular attention should be paid to the details and the connection of the payment to a specific customs document. Before confirming the operation, it is prudent for the responsible employee to verify the data of the import shipment, the payer, and the document. The formats of confirmations and the procedure for their reflection in accounting should be clarified according to official instructions, as the existing message does not disclose these details.
No specific deadlines for mandatory connection of importers, the date for the completion of the pilot, or the transition of the mechanism to mass mode are provided in the presented data. Therefore, companies are better off relying on official clarifications from the Committee of State Revenues, the Digital Tenge Platform, and the servicing bank, without changing internal procedures solely based on the announcement of technical integration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can all importers already pay VAT in digital tenge? — The message refers to participants in the pilot project. There is no information about the availability of the mechanism for all importers.
Which systems were integrated? — The Committee of State Revenues reported on the integration of its information systems with the Digital Tenge Platform regarding customs documents.
Who participated in the work? — The message names JSC "National Payment Corporation" as the national operator of the Digital Tenge Platform and JSC "Halyk Bank of Kazakhstan".
Are there deadlines for mandatory transition to the new payment method? — Such deadlines are not specified in the presented data. It is reported that the integration has been completed and the mechanism is operational for pilot participants.
Where to clarify the procedure for making a payment? — Practical conditions should be verified through official clarifications from the Committee of State Revenues, the operator of the Digital Tenge Platform, and the servicing bank.
Sources
Committee of State Revenues of the Ministry of Finance of the RK: VAT payment on imports in digital tenge and integration of customs systems