Coca-Cola's Uzbek subsidiary challenges $25 million tax assessment in court

The legal challenge came to light following the publication of the 2025 financial statements and first-quarter 2026 financial report of Coca-Cola İçecek, which operates as part of the prominent Turkish conglomerate Anadolu Group.

The dispute stems from a targeted audit conducted by Uzbekistan's Interregional Tax Inspectorate for Large Taxpayers. Following the inspection, tax authorities issued an assessment in May 2025 ordering the company to pay additional taxes, penalties, and interest totaling UZS 314.5 billion (roughly $25 million). The additional tax obligations are connected to multiple financial transactions, including corporate dividend payouts distributed by the local enterprise in 2023 and 2024.

The entire UZS 314.5 billion liability was recorded in the company’s 2025 financial accounts and was fully settled by the subsidiary on January 5, 2026. Simultaneously, Coca-Cola Bottlers Uzbekistan filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the tax inspectorate's decision. Corporate management noted that they expect a favorable outcome from the litigation and do not anticipate that the final judicial decision will exert a significant material impact on the operational results, financial position, or liquidity of the broader corporate group.

When contacted for comment on the ongoing litigation, the press service of the Tax Committee under the Cabinet of Ministers declined to provide specifics, citing that the legal proceedings have not yet concluded.

According to separate fiscal data provided by the Tax Committee, the foreign enterprise Coca-Cola Ichimligi Uzbekistan Ltd. contributed a total of UZS 1.08 trillion in taxes throughout 2025, showing a substantial increase from the UZS 596.4 billion in taxes paid during the first 11 months of 2024.

During the first three months of 2026, the soft drink manufacturer's tax payments reached UZS 512.1 billion. This sharp quarter-on-quarter increase likely reflects the inclusion of the newly assessed back-tax liabilities that the company remitted at the beginning of the first quarter.