DUSHANBE, November 11, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan has imposed a 3 percent excise tax on Internet-providers’ services, Ms. Parvina Ibodova, the chairperson of the Association of Internet-Providers of Tajikistan, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

“We knew recently that the instruction of the Tax Committee under the Government of Tajikistan provides for charging excise tax on mobile communications that include Internet, IP-telephony and so forth,” said Ibodova, “It turned out that this instruction about which we learned just recently was approved as long ago as January 1, 2011.”

According to her, the Association of Internet-Providers of Tajikistan is currently waiting for an official reply from the Tax Committee.  “We hope to receive the reply this week,” said Ibodova, “If it turns out that Internet-providers must pay this tax, we will conduct a legal analysis of this instruction.”    

We will recall that Tajikistan imposed a 3 percent excise tax on mobile phone services on January 1, 2011.  Tajikistan also already charges excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco and tobacco substitutes, fuel, tires and vehicles.