Valve has become the largest foreign VAT payer in Kazakhstan among internet companies
Valve is spending substantial amounts on VAT in Kazakhstan.
By the end of the first half of 2026, it transferred 11.21 billion tenge ($25 million) to the local treasury, as reported by the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance. This amount exceeds that of any other foreign e-commerce organization.
For comparison, the company holding the second place, Elementary Innovation—which manages the marketplace Temu—contributed 10.06 billion tenge ($22 million) to the Kazakh budget. Apple's tax contributions amounted to 8.54 billion tenge ($19 million), and Google's were 5.35 billion tenge ($12 million).
Interestingly, last year Valve's VAT expense in Kazakhstan was much more modest. It is known that during the first 11 months of 2025 it paid "only" 8.6 billion tenge ($19 million)—approximately a quarter less than now for half a year.
It is assumed that Valve’s tax contributions increased due to rising user spending in Steam. It is noteworthy that in recent years, gamers from Russia often create Kazakh accounts in the store to pay for purchases unavailable in their country. This might also have impacted Valve's VAT in Kazakhstan.
Other gaming companies ranked as the largest foreign VAT payers in the e-commerce sector in Kazakhstan during the first half of 2026 include:
- Activision Blizzard — 140.9 million tenge ($314,200);
- Xsolla — 132.3 million tenge ($295,000);
- Wargaming — 68.7 million tenge ($153,200);
- Sony Interactive Entertainment — 68.22 million tenge ($152,100);
- Riot Games — 68 million tenge ($151,600);
- Nintendo — 41.32 million tenge ($92,100);
- Unity — 10 million tenge ($22,300).