The next quarterly meeting of the "Tax and Reporting" working group of the Commission on Business Environment and International Rankings, led by the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy, was held. Latif Zeynalli, Head of the State Programs Division at the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), participated in the meeting.

The meeting involved discussions on the work accomplished during the first quarter, the results achieved, and the measures outlined for the upcoming period within the framework of the 2026 Roadmap for implementing improvements and communication measures related to the "Taxation" indicator of the World Bank Group’s "Business Ready" report.

Ilkin Valiyev, Head of the "Tax and Reporting" working group and Deputy Chief of the State Tax Service, delivered a speech providing information on the status of the Roadmap's implementation. It was noted that new measures have been specified along current directions within the Roadmap to further improve the entrepreneurial environment.

Vusal Shikhaliyev, Head of the Secretariat of the Commission and Head of the Sector at the Department for Economic Policy and Industrial Issues of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, emphasized the significance of the reforms implemented toward developing the business environment, increasing transparency, and strengthening Azerbaijan's position in international rankings.

Information regarding the reform measures envisaged in the Roadmap was presented during the meeting. Discussions focused on issues such as enhancing the pre-filing mechanism of the "Simplified Tax Return" for micro-entrepreneurs, applying this approach to VAT returns, the online completion of VAT return schedules, expanding services on the electronic portal and mobile application, improving desk tax audits, as well as transitioning to a proactive model by notifying taxpayers in advance about electronic discrepancies.

Proposals voiced by private sector representatives and experts were heard, and an exchange of ideas was conducted regarding the improvement of tax administration and the achievement of the targets specified in the Roadmap.

In conclusion, the importance of the timely and effective execution of the measures outlined in the Roadmap was highlighted, and the significance of continuing coordinated activities among the working group members was noted. It was also stated that cooperation with business consulting firms regarding innovations in the field of taxation will continue.