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On September 17, 2025, the Parliament of Georgia published a draft law introducing amendments to the Law of Georgia on Payment Systems and Payment Services.
Under the proposed amendments, the National Bank of Georgia is granted the authority to establish the rules for calculating service commission and/or set fee caps for services provided within systemically or exceptionally important payment systems.
The commission cap of 0.5% has been introduced for merchants using payment service providers that are systemically important commercial banks or part of their groups per transaction.
A systemically important commercial bank or a payment service provider within its group is authorized to set a minimum monthly merchant commission of up to GEL 30, provided that the total monthly commission charged to the merchant does not exceed GEL 30.
The amendments also define specific exceptions to which the rules on merchant service commission will not apply.
On August 21, 2025, the President of the National Bank of Georgia issued Order on the Approval of the Rule for Granting, Maintaining, and Revoking the Status of Green, Social, Sustainability, and Sustainability-Related Bonds.
The rule sets out the conditions for granting, maintaining, and revoking the status of “green bond”, “social bond”, “sustainability bond”, or “sustainability-related bond”.
The rule prohibits the use of the terms “green,” “social,” “sustainability,” “sustainability-related,” or similar wordings in the name or description of a bond, unless the bond meets the requirements defined by the rule.
The rule is accompanied by a list of economic activities for which the funds raised through “green”, “social”, or “sustainability” bonds shall be utilized.
The rule specifies the information that shall be disclosed by the issuer in the preliminary prospectus in order to obtain the status of a “green”, “social”, or “sustainability” bond.
Until the complete utilization of funds raised through “green”, “social”, or “sustainability” bonds, the issuer shall publish a report on the utilization of funds on its website, as well as on the reporting website provided by the Law of Georgia on Accounting, Reporting, and Auditing (www.reportal.ge).
The rule will come into effect from January 1, 2026.
On July 7, 2025, the Government of Georgia adopted the Procedure for a Foreign Grant Issuer (Donor) to Coordinate the Issuance of a Grant with the Government of Georgia.
The required documentation, application form, and submission procedure for obtaining the consent of the Government of Georgia for the issuance of a grant have been defined.
To obtain the consent of the Government of Georgia for the grant, a written draft of the grant agreement and the foreign grant issuer’s (donor’s) written decision shall be submitted.
The required documentation may be submitted to the Government of Georgia in material or electronic form.
The decision on the draft grant agreement is made by the Government of Georgia.
If the Government of Georgia does not make a decision on the draft grant agreement, this shall be considered a refusal to issue the grant.
The decision of the Government of Georgia is subject to appeal.
There are exceptions where the issuance of the grant does not require a decision from the Government of Georgia.
On September 30, 2025, the Government of Georgia published Ordinance No. 424, setting out the rules and conditions for granting/revoking the statuses of companies operating under the preferential regime according to the Law of Georgia on Innovations, as well as other procedural issues.
The Law of Georgia on Innovations grants certain tax benefits to companies operating in the field of innovation that have one of the following statuses:
Status of an Innovative Startup - the enterprise enjoys PIT exemption on salary payments for the first 3 years of operation and reduced rate of PIT as well as CIT from the fourth year.
Status of an Innovative Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) - the CIT base of the enterprise is reduced by the costs incurred for research and development activities.
Status of a Research and Development Service Provider - the enterprise enjoys a reduced 5% rate of PIT on salary payments as well as 5% rate of CIT.
Ordinance №424 defines the requirements for obtaining these statuses and relevant application procedure, the requirements for extending/revoking the status, annual compliance procedures and other matters.
On September 24, 2025, the Rule on Registration in the Innovations Registry and Instruction for Maintaining the Innovations Registry were published.
The Innovation and Technology Agency of Georgia registers a company in the Innovations Registry within one (1) business day after granting it the status of an Innovative Startup, an Innovative Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), or a Research and Development Service Provider.
If the status of an Innovative Startup, an Innovative Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), or a Research and Development Service Provider is revoked, the relevant information will be recorded in the Innovations Registry.
Upon expiration of the maximum validity period (10 years) of the status of an Innovative Startup, an Innovative Small and Medium Enterprise (SME), or a Research and Development Service Provider, the Innovations Registry registers the status termination.
Investment funds, angel investors network, and accelerators shall apply to the Innovation and Technology Agency of Georgia for registration in the Innovations Registry by submitting an application through the registry’s official website.
The mandatory documentation to be submitted by investment funds, angel investors network, and accelerators for registration in the Innovations Registry have been defined.
To be removed from the Innovations Registry, investment funds, angel investors network, and accelerators shall submit a formal request to the Innovation and Technology Agency of Georgia for deregistration.
On September 26, 2025, Order №20688 of the Head of the Revenue Service was published, approving a new methodological instruction regarding the reduction of fines accrued as a result of a tax inspection by 50%.
The methodological instruction provides clarification of Article 269.11 of the Tax Code of Georgia, which allows for 50% reduction of fines accrued as a result of the tax inspection, subject to the fulfillment of specific conditions.
According to the methodological instruction, in order to be eligible for a reduction of fines, the taxpayer shall:
Within 30 days after receiving the tax assessment, settle the underlying tax amount in full, and pay 50% of the amount of fines charged; and
Recognize the tax assessment by submitting an application on the "Refusal to Appeal a Tax Assessment" determined by the Minister of Finance of Georgia.
The methodological instruction includes illustrative examples on the application of the relief and specifies that the taxpayer shall submit a written application to the tax authority via their authorized webpage (https://eservices.rs.ge) in order to benefit from the relief.
On July 2, 2025, the Parliament of Georgia approved amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens and Stateless Persons in the third reading.
In order to identify a foreign individual staying in Georgia illegally, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is granted the authority to inspect the foreign individual’s residence, workplace, or other private property based on a court order.
If there is a risk that a foreign individual may conceal or destroy travel documents, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is authorized to initiate an inspection of the individual’s property and then apply to the court for an order within 24 hours.
