# Uzbekistan

 Country code: UZ · Currency: UZS · Language: Russian

**Pros**
- Low flat income tax rates and simplified tax regimes for small businesses
- Ongoing privatization of state-owned enterprises and liberalization of the foreign exchange market
- Strategic location for regional trade and significant investment in transport infrastructure

**Cons**
- Persistent corruption and lack of judicial independence regarding property rights protection
- Heavy state presence in key sectors and bureaucratic hurdles for international trade
- Limited political freedom and restrictions on civil liberties under a centralized government

In Tashkent, the taxman leaves you pretty much alone: personal income tax capped at 12%, corporate tax slashed, and nobody digs into your books as long as you don't make waves. Flip side: Soviet-style paperwork hasn't fully died out, banks stay locked down, international transfers feel like an obstacle course, and customs still love a little bakshish.

Other than that: the capital is safe even late at night, roads and the metro actually work, the food is generous, and the Silk Road landscapes are worth the trip on their own.

  written by félix, 2 February 2026

## Will your income be taxed? YES, BUT LIGHTLY.

Personal income gets a modest trim in **Uzbekistan**, peaking at **12%**. The state takes its cut, but the bill is readable and won't ruin your year.

Residency follows the standard playbook: day counts, economic ties, nothing sneaky.

**01.1 Income tax**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income tax | 12% | flat rate |

**01.2 Tax residence test**

_A single active rule is enough to make you tax-resident._

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 183-day rule | exists here |  |
| Economic interest | does not exist here |  |
| Family centre | does not exist here |  |
| Habitual abode | does not exist here |  |
| Extended-stay test | exists here |  |

## Will your wealth be taxed? YES, BUT LIGHTLY.

**Uzbekistan** takes a light trim on capital gains (**12%** at the top), with no annual wealth levy and no inheritance regime.

Your portfolio compounds with barely any friction; the state only shows its face when you sell. And even then, politely.

**02.1 Investment income**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Capital gains | 12% | flat · +8% non-residents on sale of property located in Uzbekistan |
| Dividend tax | 5% | flat · +5% non-residents |
| Interest income | 5% | flat |

**02.2 Wealth & estate**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wealth tax | NONE | no annual wealth tax · no real-estate wealth tax · no net-worth assessment |
| Inheritance system | NONE | no estate tax · no heir-based duties · no succession tax framework. Wealth transfers across heir-classes are not taxed in this jurisdiction. Only standard probate / registration fees may apply. |

**02.3 Crypto**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Crypto · tax regime | ZERO TAX | Rate: 0% · Under Presidential Decree No. PP-3832 and subsequent updates (including UP-229 for 2025), income derived by individuals from the turnover of crypto-assets is not subject to taxation. However, residents are strictly required to trade exclusively through licensed domestic Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs); using foreign exchanges is prohibited and subject to administrative or criminal penalties. |
| Crypto-to-crypto | NEUTRAL | a swap is not a taxable realisation event |
| FATF travel rule | NOT SIGNED | no information-sharing obligation on VASP transfers |

## Easy to run a company there? YES.

Corporate tax in **Uzbekistan** sits at a *low* **15%**, VAT included in the good mood. Setting up and running a company is cheap; whatever ends up killing your venture here, it won't be the tax bill.

**03.1 Rates**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Corporate tax | 15% | flat · +10% Net profits of a permanent establishment (PE) after CIT |
| VAT standard rate | 12% | single rate · no reduced tiers |

| VAT family | Category | Rate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Food & drink | food | 12% |
| Food & drink | non-alcoholic | 12% |
| Food & drink | alcohol | 12% |
| Print media | books | 12% |
| Print media | ebooks | 12% |
| Print media | newspapers | 12% |
| Culture | cultural events | 12% |
| Culture | cinema | 12% |
| Culture | theatre | 12% |
| Culture | museums | 12% |
| Culture | sports | 12% |
| Transport | public transit | 12% |
| Transport | rail | 12% |
| Transport | air | 12% |
| Hospitality | hotels | 12% |
| Hospitality | restaurants | 12% |
| Hospitality | takeaway | 12% |
| Health | pharma | 12% |
| Health | medical dev. | 12% |
| Energy | electricity | 12% |
| Energy | natural gas | 12% |
| Energy | district heat. | 12% |
| Energy | domestic fuel | 12% |
| Utilities | water | 12% |
| Utilities | waste | 12% |
| Clothing | kids clothing | 12% |
| Digital & telecom | digital | 12% |
| Digital & telecom | telecom | 12% |
| Digital & telecom | broadcast | 12% |
| Construction | construction | 12% |
| Construction | social housing | 12% |
| Agriculture | farm inputs | 12% |
| Agriculture | animal feed | 12% |
| Personal services | funeral | 12% |
| Personal services | hairdressing | 12% |

**03.2 Regime & registry**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| IP Box · Patent Box | NONE | no IP regime · IP income taxed under standard corporate rules |
| Misuse of corporate assets | NO CRIMINAL | no criminal liability · In Uzbekistan, the criminal prosecution of a manager for embezzlement (Article 167 of the Criminal Code) or abuse of power (Article 192-11) requires 'theft' or 'significant harm' to the organization's interests. For a sole shareholder-manager of a solvent company, the owner's consent precludes the 'harm' or 'lack of authorization' necessary to satisfy the elements of these crimes. Such actions are primarily treated as tax violations (unreported income/dividends) under Article 184 of the Criminal Code if thresholds are met, or as a civil breach of fiduciary duties under the Law 'On Limited Liability Companies' (Articles 26 and 44 of the 2001 law, and the 2026 update LRU-1137). |
| Shareholders privacy | PUBLIC | Unified State Register of Business Entities |
| Directors privacy | PUBLIC | Unified State Register of Business Entities |

**03.3 Incorporation cost**

_In this country, the most standard company form is called Mas'uliyati Cheklangan Jamiyat (MCHJ) (Limited Liability Company (LLC)). The costs below are for incorporating a company in its simplest form, for reference only._

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| State Registration Fee (1 Base Calculating Amount) | USD 35 |  |
| Professional Incorporation & Legal Services | USD 850 |  |
| PINFL Registration and Electronic Digital Signature (EDS) | USD 42 |  |
| Company Seal and Notarized Documentation | USD 42 |  |
| Total | USD 970 |  |

## A good fit for a holding? NOT REALLY.

**Uzbekistan** has a *moderate* **30**-treaty network, but no participation exemption: dividends from subsidiaries land straight in the corporate schedule (**15%**).

Fine for operational subsidiaries; as a pure holding base, you're feeding the local taxman at every distribution.

**04.1 Substance & exemptions**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Territorial · individuals | WORLDWIDE | worldwide income taxation regardless of source |
| Territorial · corporates | WORLDWIDE | worldwide corporate taxation |
| Participation exemption | NONE | no dividend participation exemption regime |
| CFC rules | APPLY | Uzbekistan tax residents, including individuals and legal entities, are subject to CFC regulations if they own or control foreign entities or structures. |

**04.2 Withholding tax · non-resident**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WHT · dividends | 10% | non-resident outbound |
| WHT · interest | 10% | non-resident outbound |
| WHT · royalties | 20% | non-resident outbound |
| Tax-haven WHT | NONE | no punitive rate on record |

**04.3 Treaty network**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Treaties signed | 29 | active |
| Treaties pending | 1 | in negotiation |

## Easy to come and go? SOME.

**Uzbekistan** taxes your worldwide income while you're resident, but at least the exit is free: *no exit tax* on the way out.

Leaving costs you paperwork, not money; your unrealised gains walk out the door with you, untouched.

**05.1 Exit & dual nationality**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exit tax | NONE | no triggers active · residence change tax-free · no deemed-disposal mechanism |
| Dual citizenship | FORBIDDEN | naturalisation requires renouncing existing citizenship |

**05.2 Citizenship paths**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Residence | 5 years | available path to naturalisation |
| Marriage | — | not available |
| Birth | — | not available |
| Descent | — | not available |
| Investment | — | not available |

## Is your money watched? NO.

Foreign tax offices see next to nothing of what you do in **Uzbekistan**: it has signed *few exchange frameworks*.

But the *corporate registries are public*: your shareholdings and directorships are one search away for anyone curious. Invisible from abroad, on display at home.

**Multilateral reporting frameworks — 1/9 active · 2 pending**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CRS | None | — |
| CARF | None | — |
| FATCA | In force | 2014 |
| MLI | None | — |
| BEPS | Signed | — |
| MAAC | None | — |
| GLOBAL FORUM | Signed | — |
| EOIR | None | — |
| CRYPTO TRAVEL RULE | None | — |

## Is it blacklisted? NO.

**Uzbekistan** sits on no major blacklist, though it's *outside* the FATF club.

Some counterparties will run a bit of extra due diligence out of habit, but there's no formal stigma: you won't get hassled for dealing with it.

**Blacklist exposure — Clear everywhere**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EMBARGO | Clear | un / us / eu sanctions |
| FATF | Clear | grey / black list |
| EU | Clear | non-cooperative list |
| FRANCE | Clear | ETNC list |
| SPAIN | Clear | tax-haven list |
| PORTUGAL | Clear | favourable regimes |
| BRAZIL | Clear | low-tax list |

## Do you feel free there? NO.

Press freedom in **Uzbekistan** is *locked down* (RSF rank **\#148**). Independent media and civic space operate under pressure (when they operate at all), and that kind of grip usually spills over into economic life too.

Small mercy: crypto isn't formally banned.

**08.1 Press freedom**

| Metric | Value | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Press freedom · RSF index | 148/180 | score 35 · · 0 rank year-on-year |

Central bank digital currency

NONE

no announced CBDC program · no pilot · no retail or wholesale prototype on record

## Connected to the world? POORLY CONNECTED.

The two rails that matter are both dead in **Uzbekistan**. *Stripe* won't onboard you, so card payments mean a foreign structure or a local processor with its own rules. *Amazon* doesn't deliver either.

Some secondary services run (**3/11**), but for an online business this is swimming against the current.

**Accept payments — 1/6 available**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stripe | Not available | card payments |
| PayPal | Not available | wallet payments |
| Adyen | Not available | enterprise psp |
| Mollie | Not available | eu payments |
| GoCardless | Not available | direct debit |
| Paddle | Available | merchant of record |

**Bank and move money — 1/3 available**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wise | Available | multi-currency |
| Revolut | Not available | personal banking |
| Revolut Business | Not available | business banking |

**Buy and sell on Amazon — 1/2 available**

| Item | Status | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Amazon | Not available | consumer delivery |
| Amazon Seller | Available | marketplace selling |

  SEE ALSO## Other jurisdictions worth comparing

Picked by similarity of strategic profile to Uzbekistan. No editorial ranking — neighbours in the same scoring space.

  PROFILE-ADJACENT Same shape, comparable overall friction.

 [   Central African Republic CF  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/cf) [   Belarus BY  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/by) [   Timor-Leste TL  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/tl)

  NOTABLY MORE FAVORABLE Same family of strategies, higher total score.

 [   El Salvador SV  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/sv) [   Switzerland CH  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/ch) [   Guatemala GT  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/gt)

  NOTABLY LESS FAVORABLE Same family of strategies, lower total score.

 [   Central African Republic CF  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/cf) [   Belarus BY  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/by) [   Madagascar MG  → ](https://stateless.sx/en/country/mg)