Tax and Finance Newsletter – April 2026

ACAC – Tax and Finance Newsletter, April 2026

First-Ever Tax Guidance Issued for Crypto Assets, as Three Petroleum-Related Taxes Continue to Be Reduced to 0% through the End of June

At Anh Consulting and Auditing Co., Ltd. (ACAC), we place strong emphasis on keeping pace with regulatory developments and providing accurate professional knowledge to help businesses make effective financial decisions, remain compliant, and adapt flexibly in a changing policy environment.

The most notable development in April 2026 is the Ministry of Finance’s first-ever issuance of specific guidance on the declaration and payment of tax for crypto-asset business activities — a new sector now brought formally within the tax administration framework. In addition, the National Assembly extended the policy reducing three categories of petroleum-related tax to 0% through the end of June 2026. ACAC’s April 2026 newsletter summarizes the most notable updates to help enterprises stay informed and adjust accordingly in a timely manner.

Tax Policy Guidance and Updates

Value-Added Tax (VAT)

On 6 April 2026, the Ministry of Finance issued Circular No. 41/2026/TT-BTC guiding the declaration, payment, withholding, and finalization of tax in the crypto-asset market. Under this Circular, crypto-asset service providers and organizations established under Vietnamese law that engage in the trading, transfer, or business of crypto assets must declare VAT and CIT using the forms prescribed under (the updated) Circular No. 80/2021/TT-BTC; CIT specifically must be provisionally paid on a quarterly basis and finalized annually no later than the last day of the third month following the end of the financial year. Tax declaration dossiers must be filed electronically with the directly managing tax authority. This is the first legal document to provide specific guidance on tax obligations for the crypto-asset sector in Vietnam; organizations operating in this sector should review it promptly to ensure proper compliance. In addition, Official Letter No. 2398/CT-CS (15 April 2026) notes that for deferred or installment payments valued at VND 5 million or more, if the contractual payment date arrives without non-cash payment documentation, the enterprise must declare and reduce the corresponding input VAT deduction; once sufficient documentation is subsequently obtained, the enterprise may re-declare and reclaim the amount previously reduced.

Corporate Income Tax (CIT)

This issue reiterates the content of Circular No. 20/2026/TT-BTC (effective from 12 March 2026) on the timing for determining taxable revenue for CIT purposes for certain specific activities, such as the export of goods, air transport, construction and installation, the supply of electricity and water, and transactions by foreign enterprises (transfers of capital, securities, or futures contracts) — enterprises engaged in these activities should review the regulations again to apply the correct tax period.

Personal Income Tax (PIT)

Under Official Letter No. 2442/CT-NVT (16 April 2026), the income level used as the basis for determining a dependant eligible for the personal deduction is an average monthly income during the year, from all sources of income, not exceeding VND 1,000,000. The dossier for registering a dependant comprises the legal documents establishing the duty of care in accordance with Circular No. 79/2022/TT-BTC; the taxpayer is responsible for the lawfulness of the documents provided and the accuracy of the information declared. The Tax Department also noted that the Ministry of Finance is preparing a new Circular providing detailed guidance on the PIT Law — enterprises and taxpayers should continue to monitor developments so as to update once the official document is issued.

Other Taxes

On 12 April 2026, the National Assembly adopted Resolution No. 19/2026/QH16, continuing to reduce three categories of tax on petrol, oil, and aviation fuel to their lowest levels, applicable from 16 April 2026 through to the end of 30 June 2026: environmental protection tax on petrol (other than ethanol), diesel oil, kerosene, fuel oil, and aviation fuel is set at VND 0/litre; these goods are not required to be declared or have VAT calculated and paid, but input VAT remains deductible; and the special consumption tax rate on all types of petrol is set at 0%. On natural resources tax, Official Letter No. 2479/CT-CS (17 April 2026) reiterates that resources extracted and used on-site within land allocated or leased, or extracted for the purpose of land levelling or constructing security, military, or dyke works, are exempt from natural resources tax; however, if the resources are transported elsewhere for use or sale, tax must still be paid as prescribed. On foreign contractor tax, Official Letter No. 2495/CT-CS (17 April 2026) provides guidance that, for a contract for the import of goods together with services where the values are separately stated, the rate for calculating both VAT and CIT on revenue from the supply of services is 5%, while the CIT rate on revenue from the supply of machinery and equipment is 1%.

Warning on Tax Fraud via Dual Accounting Book Systems

Under Official Letter No. 2451/THO-NVDTPC (14 April 2026) of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Tax Department, the tax authority has noted that a number of enterprises and business establishments continue to maintain two parallel accounting book systems — one reported to the tax authority and an internal system fully recording actual revenue — in order to reduce their tax liability. This is a serious violation that may be dealt with under the provisions on tax fraud in the Tax Administration Law, the Accounting Law, and the Penal Code. The tax authority has coordinated with e-invoice solution providers to strengthen detection, while also stepping up risk analysis, on-site inspections at enterprise premises, and coordination with credit institutions to review cases showing signs of risk. Enterprises should pay particular attention to maintaining consistency and honesty between their internal accounting books and their tax declaration dossiers, in order to avoid the risk of inspection and penalty.

Transparency – Updates – Partnership

Through its monthly newsletter, ACAC aims not only to deliver authoritative information but also to help enterprises understand the practical impact of policy changes, enabling them to proactively adjust their financial strategies and risk management.

We believe that transparency, professional rigor, and timely updates form the foundation for the sustainable growth of Vietnam’s business community in this era of global integration.

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