On May 10, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved amendments and addenda to some legislative acts aimed at ensuring the inviolability of funds in bank accounts of businesses. The amendments were passed by the Legislative Chamber on January 31 and approved by the Senate on May 3.
The preamble of the amendments stated that “there are cases of illegal transfer or withdrawal of funds from the bank accounts of business entities or untimely return of overly collected funds, and the measures of responsibility for such cases are not clearly defined.”
The amendments introduced liability into the Code of Administrative Liability and the Criminal Code for the illegal transfer or withdrawal of money from business accounts without their consent, as well as the untimely return of excessively collected funds.
At the discussion in the Senate, it was said that in 2021-2022, the business ombudsman received 665 requests from businesses for VAT refunds, 116 for the return of overcharged funds, and 69 for illegal collection orders for the indisputable recovery of funds.
In March, businesses reported that the tax authorities were illegally collecting income tax from their accounts. Social media users have also criticized advance payments for income tax. The Tax Committee, having reviewed the situation, instructed to return the illegally withheld income tax. “For shortcomings in work” the head of the control department of the committee and the head of the department of the city of Tashkent were dismissed.
