More than six months have passed since the government announced the implementation of regulations for paid advertisers on social networks.

On January 4th, SRC Chairman Rustam Badasyan stated that bloggers who receive payment for advertising on platforms like TikTok and Instagram may face administrative measures if they do not comply with tax regulations. He emphasized that the tax authorities are conducting checks, and if these individuals are not registered as businesses or have not declared their incomes, they will face consequences.

Later, it became clear that the SRC started sending notices to bloggers, urging them to pay taxes for advertising on Instagram, Facebook stories, or elsewhere.

Blogger Hayk Mkrtchyan reported on his Instagram page that the State Revenue Committee (SRC) monitors advertisements daily, compares them with tax revenue payments, and requests adjustments and explanations.

Media.am reached out to the State Revenue Committee (SRC) to inquire about the number of bloggers who paid taxes for the services they provided during this period.

In response to the written inquiry, the SRC initially confirmed that monitoring influencers’ activities is one of the many sectorial analyses conducted by the tax authority. They also informed us that individual monitoring is indeed being carried out.

“In particular, influencers providing advertising or similar services are subject to individual analysis. The RA State Revenue Committee conducts daily monitoring. It examines the transactions posted by influencers on social platforms and the documented transactions available in the information base of the RA SRC. Notices regarding irresponsibility are sent to taxpayers, and supervisory work is carried out if necessary. Additionally, meetings with influencers are held from time to time, along with awareness campaigns aimed at increasing public awareness,” the Committee reported.

According to the response, the tax authority is currently monitoring 71 influencers with the largest number of followers on a daily basis. A total of 76,108,328 drams (197,310.34 US Dollars) in obligations were paid (or repaid) through the joint account during the period 01․01․2023-31․08․2024.