Bloggers in Sughd Region Fined Tens of Thousands of Somoni for “Illegal Activities”

In the first half of 2026, tax authorities in the Sughd region found 17 bloggers guilty of “illegal activities without state registration” and imposed fines totaling 96,700 somoni. This was reported on August 3 at a press conference by Suhrob Bobozoda, a representative of the Tax Committee for the Sughd region.

According to him, as of July 1, 2026, there are officially 27 bloggers registered as taxpayers in the Sughd region, which is an increase of 10 compared to the same period last year. In the first six months of this year, they paid 273,800 somoni in taxes, which is 133% more than in the same period last year.

The Tax Committee of Tajikistan also reported that as of July 1, 2026, there are officially 130 registered bloggers across the country, an increase of 21 compared to the same period last year. According to the committee, registered bloggers earned a total income of 3.9 million somoni in the first half of this year, from which they paid 383,300 somoni in taxes.

Despite this, tax officials claim that the actual number of bloggers in Tajikistan far exceeds the officially registered figures. There are still reported issues with identifying and registering them. According to the committee, in the first half of the year, 26 bloggers received official warnings about the necessity of registering with the tax authorities.

Since 2021, bloggers in Tajikistan have been required to pay taxes on income earned from social media and platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. Under the law, bloggers operating as individual entrepreneurs must pay 6% of their total income, while legal entities are required to pay 18% of their net profit.

Many experts and human rights advocates argue that the obligation for bloggers to pay taxes is not merely about raising funds for the state budget. They contend that the registration of bloggers with tax authorities could enable government agencies to monitor their activities and, in some cases, involve them in promoting official government policies. Experts believe this process could affect the independence of bloggers and freedom of speech.

However, the authorities in Tajikistan continue to reject these claims, stating that the primary goal is to comply with tax legislation requirements.