Armenian parliament majority rejects opposition proposal to repeal income declaration law

Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract faction has voted down a bill drafted by the opposition Hayastan faction to repeal the mandatory income declaration system.

Presenting the bill at a parliament session on Tuesday, opposition MP Tadevos Avetisyan argued that the measure would not effectively reduce the shadow economy, as individuals with undeclared income would likely continue to conceal it. Fellow MP Artur Khachatryan criticized the law as a means to impose additional taxes, warning it could extend to taxing migrant workers and those in agriculture. “The law is about squeezing every last penny from the people,” he stated.

In response, Civil Contract MP Vahagn Aleksanyan claimed the opposition’s true intention was to obstruct Armenian citizens from accessing social benefits tied to income declarations. “Their goal is to increase public dissatisfaction while reducing the number of satisfied citizens,” he said.

Responding to the accusation, Hayastan faction secretary Artsvik Minasyan stated: “Our goal is to free the country from the destructive government as soon as possible." He then requested a 20-minute break before the vote.

Meanwhile, Civil Contract MP Narek Ghahramanyan announced that while the government plans to extend the deadline for filing income declarations to November 1 during an upcoming special session, the ruling party remains firmly opposed to repealing the law.