Back in 2022, experts called for not demanding income statements from  individuals with income `unseen` by State Revenue Committee, today  they are `bringing good news` - expert

ArmInfo.Back in 2022, experts advised Babken Tunyan, deputy chair of the parliamentary committee on economic issues, during hearings he organized, not to require annual income declarations from individuals with no income other than that paid by tax agents.

They were ignored, and three years later, just 24  days before the extended deadline for filing annual income  declarations, Tunyan is "bringing good news" to the citizens of the  Republic of Armenia about "significant simplifications," saying  exactly what he was told several years ago. This is according to  Eduard Badalyan, vice president of the NGO "Citizen-Taxpayer-Business  Human Rights Organization."

"And he didn't even blink. Not a word about how three years ago he  voted for these people to file declarations, and now, in essence, he  realized he did the wrong thing."

"I wonder if anyone, journalists for example, will, if given the  opportunity, ask this man:  three years ago, after listening to so  many people, when he voted for the law that stated, yes, everyone  must file a tax return, didn't he understand what he was advocating  for? Or is he simply someone who has the right to vote and the right  to initiate [something permitted]?" Badalyan writes on social media.

The tax expert also wonders if Tunyan has forgotten the prime  minister's words about never again informing him of any initiative to  defer an already adopted procedure. "Is this change nothing more than  an indefinite postponement of the adopted procedure? This [spirit] is  simply captivating," Eduard Badalyan concludes.

The day before, ruling parliamentary faction member Babken Tunyan  announced a simplification of the income declaration system for  individuals. Specifically, if citizens believe they have no other  income beyond the income information known to the State Revenue  Committee, they do not need to complete a declaration. Then, after  November 1, the automatically generated version will be considered  final and accepted by the State Revenue Committee. This  simplification does not apply to individuals with other income  unknown to the committee. Citizens wishing to take advantage of state  social loans- refunds of up to 100,000 drams for education and  healthcare expenses-must also complete their own declarations.  Regarding income declarations from bank deposits, citizens must  either provide additional information about their deposits themselves  or consent to the State Revenue Committee receiving this information  from their banks.

As a reminder, the implementation of the Universal Income Declaration  system for all resident citizens of the republic began in 2023. The  process is organized in three stages, with the number of individuals  required to submit the declaration expanding each year.  The system's  implementation will be completed in 2025. In 2025, tax returns will  be required to be filed (the previous deadline was May 1, which was  later extended to November 1) by employees (as well as individuals  employed under civil contracts) who are citizens and residents of  Armenia.