Vietnam’s business license fee (le phi mon bai) was abolished from 1 January 2026. This article does not instruct “declaration” in the old sense — that obligation no longer exists. Instead, here are 5 things newly established companies (and operating ones) must know after abolition: who neither declares nor pays, which 2025 obligations survive, how old arrears are handled, and what to do about mistaken payments.
1. The abolition: from 1 January 2026, no collection, no declaration
- Resolution 198/2025/QH15 (Clause 7, Article 10): ends collection and payment of the license fee from 1 January 2026;
- Decree 362/2025/ND-CP (Clause 4, Article 6): repeals Decrees 139/2016/ND-CP and 22/2020/ND-CP on the license fee, effective 1 January 2026;
- Official Letter 645/CT-CS of the Tax Department: implementation guidance — from 2026, no declaration, no payment.
Direct consequence: companies established from 2026 onward do nothing about the license fee — no return, no payment, no fee-bracket lookup.
2. Note 1 — Companies established from 2026: neither declare nor pay
If your company received its Enterprise Registration Certificate on or after 1 January 2026, no license-fee obligation arises at all — not even in the first year.
3. Note 2 — Companies established in 2025: must still declare (despite payment exemption)
This is the biggest trap: 2025-established companies were exempt from paying the first-year fee (under Decree 22/2020/ND-CP — old rules, applicable only to 2025 obligations), but not exempt from the declaration duty (under Article 10 of Decree 126/2020/ND-CP — old tax administration rules).
Specifically: 2025-established companies must still file the 2025 license-fee return by 30 January 2026. “Exempt from payment” does not mean “exempt from declaration” — missing the return can still trigger penalties for late or missing tax filings.
4. Note 3 — Capital changes or new branches in 2025: supplementary declaration still required
2025 changes creating 2025 license-fee obligations — e.g. charter capital increases changing the fee bracket, or new branches/business locations — still require supplementary declaration under the old rules applicable to 2025. “About to be abolished” is no excuse for skipping obligations arising before abolition.
5. Note 4 — Pre-2026 arrears: still collected
Abolition from 1 January 2026 does not erase old debts. Outstanding license fees for 2025 and earlier are still collected in full — declared and paid for the correct tax period and budget item. Companies should review and settle to avoid accruing late-payment interest.
6. Note 5 — Mistaken 2026 payments: adjust and reconcile
Some companies (or their accountants) habitually still paid the 2026 license fee. Overpayments must be adjusted and reconciled with the tax authority for offset against other obligations or refund under current tax administration rules. Do not leave the money hanging unexplained in the books.
Summary of the 5 notes
| # | Content | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Companies est. from 2026: no declaration, no payment | Do nothing about the fee |
| 2 | 2025 companies: exempt from payment, not from declaration | File the 2025 return by 30/01/2026 |
| 3 | 2025 capital/branch changes | Supplementary declaration under old rules |
| 4 | Pre-2026 arrears | Review; pay correctly, in full, to the right item |
| 5 | Mistaken 2026 payments | Adjust and reconcile with the tax authority |
FAQs
Does a company established in March 2026 file a license-fee return?
No — collection and payment were abolished from 1 January 2026; post-2026 companies neither declare nor pay.
Does a company established in June 2025 need to do anything?
Yes — despite first-year payment exemption, it must file the 2025 license-fee return by 30 January 2026.
Can overpaid 2026 license fees be refunded?
Overpayments are adjusted and reconciled with the tax authority for offset or refund under current tax administration rules.
Do not cite Decrees 139/2016, 22/2020 or 126/2020 as current authority — repealed from 1 January 2026; they may only explain pre-2026 obligations (marked “old rules”). Legal texts in force as of 14 October 2026. See our other corporate legal services articles.
For a review of your company’s outstanding tax obligations, contact FLAT Law Firm.
Transparency label: FLAW AI Legal Council. This article has been reviewed by the QA Council. Content is general information only and is not legal advice for any specific case.
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