Implementation of the Roadmap Discussed at the Next Meeting of the “Tax and Accountability” Working Group

The next meeting of the “Tax and Accountability” Working Group of the Commission on Business Environment and International Ratings, led by the State Tax Service (STS) under the Ministry of Economy, has been held. The event was attended by members of the working group, as well as representatives of relevant government agencies and the private sector.

The meeting discussed the implementation status of the measures envisaged in the 2026 Roadmap for the “Taxation” indicator of the World Bank Group’s “Business Ready” report. Deputy Head of the State Tax Service Ilkin Valiyev provided information on the work carried out under the Roadmap, the measures taken to improve services provided to taxpayers, and the tasks ahead.

Vusal Shikhaliyev, Head of the Commission’s Secretariat and Head of Sector at the Department of Economic Policy and Industrial Issues of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, emphasized the importance of the reforms being implemented to improve the business environment and strengthen Azerbaijan’s position in international rankings.

The meeting also highlighted awareness-raising activities in the field of tax legislation and administration, as well as the work done to ensure the transparency of amendments to tax legislation and to expand dialogue with the business community.

It was noted that, at meetings held so far in 2026 with business entities and representatives of chambers of commerce and associations, draft amendments to the Tax Code were discussed and entrepreneurs’ opinions and proposals were heard. In addition, separate meetings on desk tax audits and the monitoring of tax returns were organized with the participation of accountants, auditors and representatives of various associations. At these meetings, views were exchanged on the difficulties taxpayers face in applying the legislation and in matters of tax administration, as well as on ways to address them.

Participants were briefed on innovations aimed at notifying taxpayers in advance of discrepancies in electronic invoices, applying a proactive approach in desk tax audits, and protecting taxpayers’ interests in this area. Information was also provided on the implementation status of the project to introduce a pre-filling mechanism for VAT returns (pre-filing), as well as on the work done to expand the services provided through the e-portal and the mobile application.

At the meeting, representatives of the “Subgroup on Identifying Barriers and Challenges to Entrepreneurial Activity in the Field of Taxation and Preparing Relevant Proposals” made presentations, proposals from private sector representatives and experts were heard, and views were exchanged on achieving the targets set out in the Roadmap. It was noted that the proposals voiced would be duly considered by the relevant authorities.

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