SUMMARY OF LEGAL DOCUMENTS
PROFESSIONAL NEWSLETTER FOR JULY 2026
INTRODUCTORY SECTION:
July 2026 saw a number of significant legal developments in the areas of taxation, electronic invoices, labor, social insurance, enterprises, and investment. Key highlights include new regulations on tax administration and tax debts, personal income tax, related-party transactions, tax registration, VAT refunds, and electronic invoices; expanded requirements for the use of electronic invoices generated from cash registers; new administrative penalties in the fields of labor and social insurance; preferential treatment for investor selection; regulations governing e-commerce platforms; and conditions for bank financing of overseas investment activities.
SUMMARY TABLE:
| No. | Title, reference number, date of issuance and effective date | Content |
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PART I: TAX POLICIES |
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| 1 | Decree No. 252/2026/ND-CP dated 30 June 2026 guiding the Law on Tax Administration (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Decree No. 252/2026/ND-CP introduces various new regulations on tax administration, notably the thresholds and overdue periods for exit suspension due to tax debts; automatic publication of information on taxpayers with tax debts overdue for more than 90 days; and requirements for e-commerce platform operators to withhold, declare, and pay tax on behalf of certain sellers. It also specifies deadlines for tax registration and tax declaration in different cases. |
| 2 | Decree No. 253/2026/ND-CP dated 30 June 2026 guiding the Law on Personal Income Tax (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Decree No. 253/2026/ND-CP expands the categories of taxable income, including income from e-commerce and digital-platform business activities, transfers of “.vn” domain names, transfers of greenhouse gas emission reduction results and carbon credits, auctioned vehicle license plates, and digital assets. It also introduces additional tax deductions, exemptions, and reductions, and increases the threshold for 10% PIT withholding on occasional income from VND 2 million to VND 5 million per payment. |
| 3 | Decree No. 255/2026/ND-CP dated 30 June 2026 on tax administration of related-party transactions (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Decree No. 255/2026/ND-CP regulates the application of the comparable uncontrolled price method to certain related-party transactions, including transactions involving goods, services, royalties, loans, and transactions involving products with comparable characteristics. Related-party transaction prices are determined or adjusted based on comparable independent transaction prices, taking into account product characteristics, contractual terms, market conditions, and other relevant economic factors. |
| 4 | Circular No. 90/2026/TT-BTC dated 30 June 2026 on tax registration (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Circular No. 90/2026/TT-BTC introduces a system of 21 tax registration forms applicable to organizations, enterprises, dependent units, business households and individuals, foreign contractors, individuals earning employment income, dependents, and other relevant taxpayers. |
| 5 | Circular No. 87/2026/TT-BTC dated 30 June 2026 guiding the Law on Personal Income Tax and Decree No. 253/2026/ND-CP guiding the Law on Personal Income Tax (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Circular No. 87/2026/TT-BTC provides documentation requirements for determining a taxpayer’s dependent child for family circumstance-based deductions, including biological children, adopted children, stepchildren, children aged 18 or older who have lost civil act capacity or are disabled, and children studying at educational institutions. |
| 6 | Circular No. 86/2026/TT-BTC dated 30 June 2026 on tax administration for exported and imported goods (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Circular No. 86/2026/TT-BTC regulates the installment payment of outstanding tax debts for imported and exported goods. The maximum installment period is 03 months for tax debts from VND 500 million to less than VND 1 billion; 06 months for debts from VND 1 billion to less than VND 2 billion; and 12 months for debts of VND 2 billion or more. The application must include a request and a guarantee letter from a credit institution. |
| 7 | Circular No. 84/2026/TT-BTC dated 30 June 2026 on VAT refunds for goods purchased in Vietnam by foreigners and overseas Vietnamese and carried out of Vietnam upon exit (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Circular No. 84/2026/TT-BTC provides regulations on the standards, documentation, and procedures for VAT refunds for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese purchasing goods in Vietnam and carrying them out of the country upon exit. It also regulates the responsibilities of refund-eligible retailers, commercial banks acting as VAT refund agents, customs authorities, and refund recipients. Purchasers must present the goods together with the VAT refund invoice/declaration at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure of the aircraft or vessel. |
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PART II: ELECTRONIC INVOICE POLICIES |
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| 1 | Decree No. 254/2026/ND-CP dated 30 June 2026 guiding the Law on Tax Administration on electronic invoices and electronic documents (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Decree No. 254/2026/ND-CP expands the categories of businesses required to use electronic invoices generated from cash registers, particularly retailers, food and beverage businesses, restaurants, hotels, passenger transportation providers, and certain services directly provided to consumers. It also specifies cases where electronic invoices are not mandatory, permits invoices for certain nighttime transactions to be issued on the following working day, and provides that invoices are not required upon receipt of a deposit intended to secure the conclusion or performance of a service contract. Consumers reporting sellers that fail to issue electronic invoices may receive a reward of up to VND 10 million per case. Tax-authority-printed invoices cease to be valid from 01 July 2026. |
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PART III: LABOR, SALARY AND INSURANCE POLICIES |
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| 1 | Decree No. 283/2026/ND-CP dated 15 July 2026 on administrative penalties for violations in the fields of labor, social insurance, and Vietnamese workers working abroad under contracts (Issued on: 15 July 2026; Effective from: 10 September 2026) | Decree No. 283/2026/ND-CP regulates administrative violations, penalties, competent authorities, and remedial measures in the fields of labor, social insurance, and Vietnamese workers working abroad under contracts. Certain violations relating to recruitment and labor management may be subject to fines of VND 1–3 million or VND 5–10 million. Acts of enticing, inducing, making false promises, or using fraudulent advertising to recruit workers for exploitation or forced labor may be subject to fines of VND 50–75 million. |
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PART IV: ENTERPRISE AND INVESTMENT POLICIES |
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| 1 | Decree No. 274/2026/ND-CP dated 07 July 2026 guiding the Law on Bidding on investor selection for investment and business projects (Issued on: 07 July 2026; Effective from: 21 August 2026) | Decree No. 274/2026/ND-CP provides preferential treatment for certain investors participating in investor selection. Investors applying advanced, high, or environmentally friendly technologies, as well as science and technology enterprises, innovative start-ups, and high-tech enterprises, may receive a 2% or 5% preferential adjustment when their bids are evaluated. Foreign investors committing to technology transfer to domestic partners may receive a 2% preferential adjustment. |
| 2 | Decree No. 248/2026/ND-CP dated 30 June 2026 guiding the Law on E-Commerce (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 01 July 2026) | Decree No. 248/2026/ND-CP regulates the rights and obligations of e-commerce platform operators, sellers, and buyers. Platform operators must disclose operating conditions, ensure platform security, protect data, and receive and resolve complaints. Sellers must provide accurate information, ensure the quality of goods and services, fulfill financial obligations, and protect consumer data. The requirement for electronic identity verification of sellers and livestream sellers will apply from 01 January 2027. |
| 3 | Circular No. 32/2026/TT-NHNN dated 30 June 2026 on lending by credit institutions and foreign bank branches to customers for overseas investment (Issued on: 30 June 2026; Effective from: 18 August 2026) | Circular No. 32/2026/TT-NHNN sets out the conditions for customers to obtain loans for overseas investment, including having appropriate legal capacity, satisfying investment and foreign exchange requirements, obtaining approval or a license from the host country, having a feasible investment project and sufficient repayment capacity, and having no bad debt during the preceding 24 months. The total loan commitment must not exceed 70% of the customer’s overseas investment capital in the project. |
General note:
This newsletter is for reference only – businesses or individuals should review the full text of the relevant legal documents and, where necessary, consult legal experts to ensure proper compliance with applicable regulations, procedures, and forms.
