Hanoi (VNA) – The year 2025 closed with a landmark figure in the 80-year history of Vietnam’s tax sector. The total State budget revenue exceeded 2.3 quadrillion VND (87.3 billion USD) for the first time. Beyond the record amount, the achievement reflects the sector’s remarkable growth in scale, revenue quality and the effectiveness of its comprehensive digital transformation.
In an interview with VietnamPlus, Deputy Minister of Finance Cao Anh Tuan reviewed a period marked by both turbulence and pride, while outlining the strategy guiding the transition towards an era of smart governance.
According to the official directly overseeing the tax sector, looking at the broader five-year period from 2021 to 2025, total budget revenue was estimated at 9.754 quadrillion VND, surpassing the target by 17.5%. The share of domestic revenue rose from 82.3% in 2021 to 86.6% in 2025, indicating a markedly more sustainable fiscal structure and the strengthening of internal economic capacity even during the most challenging periods.
Notably, these results were achieved while the tax authorities implemented extensive relief measures – including exemptions, reductions and deferrals – for businesses. This underscores the sector’s long-standing philosophy of “nurturing revenue sources”. Over the past five years, total support has amounted to nearly 900 trillion VND, including 229 trillion VND in 2025 alone.
The year also marked the National Assembly’s adoption of the revised law on tax administration, which Tuan said embodies a modern management mindset, shifting from manual administration to risk-based, fully automated governance. The most significant breakthrough is the abolition of presumptive taxation for household businesses from January 1, 2026, replaced by a system of self-assessment, self-declaration and electronic payment. The law also establishes a solid legal framework for managing the digital economy and e-commerce, and formally introduces personal identification numbers in place of tax codes from July 1, 2025.
To implement these changes, the Ministry of Finance has directed the tax authorities to introduce a range of supporting measures. As a result, more than 18,300 presumptive taxpayers voluntarily switched to declaration-based taxation ahead of schedule, and over 3,200 upgraded to full enterprise status. The sector has also developed a dedicated trial portal, electronic professional handbooks and one-touch support via the eTax Mobile application.
The deputy minister underlined that digital transformation is no longer a slogan but is now embedded in everyday transactions. In 2025, the eTax Mobile app surpassed 13 million downloads, ranking first in the business category on Vietnam’s App Store.
The automated personal income tax refund system, launched in April 2025, has fundamentally transformed previous procedures. More than 282,000 refunds totalling 1.315 trillion VND have been processed automatically, while the electronic invoicing system has handled over 20.3 billion invoices.
Looking ahead, 2026 will be the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, bringing substantial demands. In line with directives from the National Assembly and the Government, the Ministry of Finance has set a target of increasing revenue by at least 10% year-on-year.
With the new law on tax administration taking effect, the Department of Taxation will focus on implementation, particularly supporting household businesses in complying with declaration requirements. Key priorities include redesigning all operational processes towards automation, synchronising tax data with the national population database, upgrading eTax and eTax Mobile platforms, and expanding electronic invoices generated from point-of-sale systems to combat revenue losses./.
