Astana Hub in Kazakhstan: Frequently Asked Questions

The company must be registered as a participant in Astana Hub and meet the conditions established by Kazakhstan’s legislation.

One of the principal requirements is that at least 90% of the company’s total annual income must come from activities included in the approved list of priority IT activities. If the company produces and sells goods, the goods must also meet the applicable own-production criteria.

The 2026 Tax Code continues significant tax preferences for Astana Hub participants. The regime provides a 100% reduction of corporate income tax for qualifying income, subject to the applicable conditions. The new Tax Code also contains specific exemptions and reductions concerning individual income tax, VAT, social tax and certain payments to non-residents.
The important point is that these benefits are not simply a blanket “0% tax” regime. Each tax has its own conditions and calculation rules.

Generally, income of employees of an Astana Hub participant is excluded from the individual income tax base under the 2026 Tax Code. The provision does not impose a salary ceiling or a separate restriction based on the employee’s position.
This can be particularly significant for companies with highly paid IT specialists.

No. This is an important distinction.

The Astana Hub regime does not eliminate every payroll-related payment. In particular:
* individual income tax relief applies to qualifying employee income;
* social tax treatment differs depending on the employee’s citizenship;
* social contributions and mandatory pension contributions remain payable;
* compulsory social medical insurance deductions and contributions receive separate treatment and can be exempt under the applicable rules.

For example, social tax remains applicable to income of employees who are citizens of Kazakhstan, while the income of non-Kazakh citizens receives more favourable treatment.
Therefore, a payroll calculation should be made separately for Kazakh and foreign employees rather than assuming that all payroll taxes are zero.

The 2026 Tax Code provides VAT exemptions for certain qualifying transactions of Astana Hub participants, including specified domestic sales of goods, works and services and certain imports. There are also rules concerning reverse-charge VAT and particular transactions with non-residents.

The exemptions are conditional, so VAT treatment should be checked transaction by transaction rather than assuming that every transaction of an Astana Hub company is automatically VAT-free.

Yes. Astana Hub is specifically designed to support technology companies employing international specialists, and special immigration arrangements are available to participants.

However, Astana Hub participation should not be confused with a general exemption from Kazakhstan’s foreign-labour requirements. The applicable immigration and work-authorisation rules still need to be assessed for each foreign employee.
This is particularly relevant when establishing a Kazakhstan-based regional management or technology team.

No. The company must continue to satisfy the applicable requirements.

From 2026, the regulatory framework includes more extensive monitoring and reporting requirements. Participants with annual income above the statutory threshold are required to provide an annual report concerning their income structure and compliance with the priority-activity requirements, with auditor confirmation where applicable. The current rules set the threshold at more than 30,000 MCI.

The rules were also amended in July 2026, including changes concerning the duration of participation and participant obligations. The current rules provide that participation is granted for a period determined by Astana Hub, which cannot be less than one year.

The tax benefits are conditional on compliance with the Astana Hub requirements. A company should therefore monitor its revenue structure throughout the year rather than checking the 90% requirement only when preparing its annual accounts.

This is particularly important for businesses that have both qualifying IT activities and non-IT consulting, trading or other activities.

Not necessarily.
The regime is intended for businesses whose actual activities fall within Kazakhstan’s approved priority IT activities. A company cannot simply describe ordinary business consulting or other non-IT services as “technology services” to obtain the benefits.

Before applying, the company should analyse:

1. whether its activities fall within the approved IT activity list;
2. whether at least 90% of annual income will qualify;
3. the tax treatment of its employees, including their citizenship;
4. the VAT treatment of its particular transactions;
5. the company’s reporting and audit obligations.