Culture Minister Ozodbek Nazarbekov emphasized mandatory income declaration for artists as the right approach to eliminating shadow economy in Uzbekistan. For four years, the Tax Committee has been working on this matter, he said.
During a press conference held on March 11 with the participation of the Culture Ministry’s leadership, Minister Nazarbekov reported that the Tax Committee is collaborating to impose mandatory declaration for collecting taxes from artists.
"Currently, monitoring tax collection from each revenue type is proving complex. We have been discussing and tackling this issue with the Tax Committee for several years. There are presently two forms of tax payment for artists: voluntary declaration or the old form based on the basic calculation amount. We have provided the opportunity for both.
We can solve the problem and reach out to other artists only through declarations. This includes not only singers but also poets, composers, and others, which are part of the shadow economy. However, we are unable to find a straightforward, simple solution. We have been working on this matter for four years in collaboration with the Tax Committee. I think transitioning artists to filling out declarations voluntarily is the correct path.
Artists have a bit of fear and apprehension about this. We will reach this step by step; we cannot solve the issue in one day. This is the right path. Initially, we wanted to do this quickly, but after we started working with the Tax Committee, we realized there are many other complexities. Efforts are being made, and it is crucial to implement the declaration procedure," stated Ozodbek Nazarbekov.
It should be reminded that, starting January 1, 2022, Uzbekistan mandated a compulsory income and property declaration system for public servants, organizations with more than 50 percent state share, leaders and deputies of state enterprises and institutions, their spouses, and minor children. However, this system has not yet been implemented in practice.
