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On March 31, 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung signed Decision 525/QD-TTg approving a Program to Train and Foster 10,000 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) by 2030, led by the Ministry of Finance. The program aims to build modern governance capacity, strategic thinking, and digital and green transformation skills for private-sector business leaders nationwide, with a target of at least 25% female trainees. Eligible participants include chairpersons and board or council members, general directors, directors, deputy directors, and department heads of private-sector enterprises (state-owned enterprises and certain foreign-invested entities are excluded). The program offers five training tracks - strategic leadership, general CEO training, specialized director training (CFO, COO, CMO, CTO, etc.), a practical Mini MBA, and next-generation leadership succession - ranging from 30 to 90 days depending on the track. Support is delivered through three channels: state-funded training vouchers, courses directly commissioned by supporting agencies, or online learning via the Ministry of Finance's E-learning system. Each enterprise may nominate up to 5 trainees per year, with priority for female trainees and businesses that are innovative startups, high-tech, or based in disadvantaged areas. Funding comes from the state budget (central and local, per budget decentralization rules), combined with other approved support programs and voluntary contributions from businesses and organizations. The Decision took effect immediately upon signing (March 31, 2026). This is a voluntary workforce-training support initiative, not a tax, accounting, e-invoicing, or labor-law regulation, so business owners should treat it as a free or subsidized training opportunity rather than a new compliance obligation.

The National Assembly Office issued Consolidated Document No. 41/VBHN-VPQH, which consolidates the Accounting Law No. 88/2015/QH13 (effective 1 January 2017) incorporating three rounds of amendments: Tax Administration Law 38/2019/QH14 (effective 1 July 2020), Law 56/2024/QH15 amending multiple financial laws (effective 1 January 2025), and Tax Administration Law 108/2025/QH15 (effective 1 July 2026). The consolidated document was published in Official Gazette No. 172 on 31 March 2026. The law governs accounting work, accounting apparatus, accountants, accounting service businesses, and state management of accounting (Article 1). Its scope of application is broad, covering state agencies, public service units, enterprises, cooperatives, household businesses, and individual accountants (Article 2). Core provisions include initial recognition at historical cost or fair value, consistency of accounting methods, and obligations to prepare and disclose financial statements. Note: the extracted PDF text is truncated at Article 10 - the remaining chapters covering accounting documents, ledgers, financial statements, accounting inspections, accounting organisation, and accounting service businesses are not available in the extracted text.

The Prime Minister issued a Decision approving the expansion of the Southeast Nghe An Economic Zone in Nghe An Province. The Decision adjusts the boundary and area of the economic zone in accordance with the Nghe An provincial master plan for 2021-2030. The expansion is grounded in the Planning Law, the Investment Law, and Decree 35/2022/ND-CP on industrial zone and economic zone management. This is an administrative decision on regional economic planning, not directly relevant to routine SME tax obligations, though enterprises investing in the economic zone may qualify for specific tax incentives.

Circular 31/2026/TT-BTC issued by the Ministry of Finance on March 27, 2026, regulates the decentralization of certain tasks and powers in the field of state management. This document takes effect immediately from its issuance date (March 27, 2026), demonstrating the urgency and importance of these decentralization regulations. This document relates to the reorganization of task assignments and authority among agencies under the Ministry of Finance, which may affect business processes for handling documents and administrative procedures for enterprises. Decentralization can facilitate faster access for businesses to competent local authorities, reducing waiting time and increasing work efficiency. For small and medium-sized enterprises, understanding the competent authorities after decentralization will help optimize compliance processes for tax, customs, accounting, and other financial regulations. Businesses should monitor detailed guidance from local tax and financial authorities to ensure proper procedures are followed with the newly authorized agencies.

The Prime Minister issues Decision No. 482/QD-TTg dated 26 March 2026 applying special tax rates on petrol, diesel, and jet fuel to stabilize fuel prices. The Decision is effective from midnight on 26 March 2026 to the end of 15 April 2026. Key measures: environmental protection tax on petrol (excluding ethanol), diesel, and jet fuel reduced to VND 0/litre; petrol, diesel, and jet fuel exempt from VAT declaration and payment but input VAT remains deductible; special consumption tax rate on petrol reduced to 0%.

Decree No. 51/2026/NĐ-CP dated 2 February 2026 amends Decree No. 143/2013/NĐ-CP governing repayment of scholarships and training costs for individuals sent to study using state budget funds or under Prime Minister-approved training order schemes. The decree introduces a mechanism to cancel or waive repayment obligations in specific circumstances: the trainee has died, is medically unfit to work, has been reassigned or transferred by a competent authority, or faces objective force majeure reasons preventing compliance. Detailed procedures for filing applications, authority to approve, and processing timelines are specified. The decree takes effect on 26 March 2026. Cases currently under review without a final decision before that date will be subject to the new cancellation/waiver provisions.

On March 25, 2026, the Government issued Decree No. 85/2026/ND-CP on supplementary retirement insurance, implementing Article 127.3 of the 2024 Social Insurance Law (Law No. 41/2024/QH15). This creates a voluntary, employer-sponsored pension benefit scheme for employees who already participate in compulsory social insurance. Participation cannot be made a condition of hiring, contract renewal, or tied to bonus and performance policies, and contribution levels are freely negotiated between employer and employee. The Decree sets up an individual retirement account for each participating employee and governs the establishment, management, and investment of supplementary pension funds. Eligible investments include government bonds, bank deposits, listed stocks and bonds, and fund certificates, subject to concentration limits (for example, a minimum 40 percent allocation to government bonds for funds with net assets of 5 billion VND or more, and caps on exposure to a single issuer or related-party group). Asset custodians, supervisory banks, and individual account administrators each have defined licensing conditions and liability to compensate participants if valuation or investment errors occur. Employees may draw benefits monthly, as a lump sum, or a combination of both; early withdrawal before retirement age (outside force majeure cases such as death, terminal illness, or 81 percent or greater loss of working capacity) triggers a fee of up to 5 percent of the withdrawal amount. On tax treatment, employer contributions are deductible for corporate income tax purposes up to the limits set by CIT law, and employees receive personal income tax incentives on both contributions and payouts. The Decree also sets licensing conditions for pension fund management companies (minimum 5 years of fund management experience, at least 1,000 billion VND in assets under management, and licensed staff), plus grounds for license revocation such as dissolution, fraud, or repeated compliance violations. SME owners considering this benefit should note that it is a market-based product - the State does not guarantee investment returns or payout amounts. Note: the Cong Bao source text retrieved for this article is cut off mid-Article 40 (Chapter III); the final provisions of the Decree, including the effective date, were not present in the source text used to prepare this summary.

The Customs Department responded regarding tax clearance confirmation for Phuong Nam International Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company (Tax code: 0312855843) for dissolution purposes. According to Official Letter No. 4005/HQKV2-NVHQ dated 24 April 2026 from Regional Customs Sub-Department II, a search of records on 21 April 2026 showed the company has **no outstanding tax debts** or other amounts related to import-export activities. The Sub-Department requires all regional customs units within **3 working days** to check their records and report any outstanding debts. If no notification is received within the deadline, the respective unit bears responsibility. From the date of this letter, the company **may not register new customs declarations**. The confirmation is valid for **7 working days** from the signing date.

Circular 21/2026/TT-BTC, issued by the Ministry of Finance on March 17, 2026 and effective the same day, amends parts of Circular 80/2021/TT-BTC, the main guidance document for tax administration under the Tax Administration Law. The changes cover two areas: the paperwork required to get an exemption or reduction of annually-paid land rent, and the corporate income tax (CIT) declaration forms used for real estate and capital transfer transactions. On land rent, the Circular rewrites Article 59 to set out the dossier for four situations: agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, or salt-production land lessees hit by natural disaster or fire; production and business land lessees forced to suspend operations due to disaster, fire, or force majeure; organizations employing ethnic-minority workers in disadvantaged areas; and organizations employing workers with disabilities. Where the required proof is already available in a national database the tax authority can access, taxpayers no longer need to submit paper copies. The Circular also raises the average tax-collection-agency commission cap to no more than 6 percent of the amount collected (amending Article 82.2), and repeals the old Article 60. On CIT, the Circular replaces Form 02/TNDN (the per-transaction real estate transfer declaration) and Form 05/TNDN (the capital transfer declaration for foreign enterprises). Foreign enterprises that signed a capital transfer contract before Decree 320/2025/ND-CP took effect may still use the old Form 05/TNDN under Circular 80/2021/TT-BTC. Businesses and individuals handling land rent exemptions or capital/real estate transfer filings should check their paperwork and forms against the new rules starting March 17, 2026.

Decree No. 77/2026/ND-CP, effective from March 17, 2026, re-establishes the entire organizational and operational framework for the National Technology Innovation Fund (NATIF), a public non-business unit under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Fund has independent legal status, its own seal and bank accounts, and is responsible for granting, commissioning, and financially supporting technology innovation tasks, intellectual property development, productivity and quality improvement, and innovative startup support. For businesses, especially SMEs and tech startups, the Decree opens four funding channels: direct non-refundable grants, commissioned tasks, bank loan interest subsidies, and financial support vouchers. Applications are reviewed publicly and transparently; businesses self-declare and are responsible for the accuracy of their information, and may be exempt from administrative and civil liability if a task fails to meet its targets despite full compliance with procedures and absent any fraud. Financially, the state budget disburses funds to NATIF in up to 3 installments per year, with the first tranche of at least 50 percent of the annual plan due before December 31 of the prior year and the final tranche before September 1. NATIF's management costs are calculated on a progressive scale based on disbursement volume, from 5 to 7 percent. The Decree repeals the corresponding provisions of Decree No. 265/2025/ND-CP and carries over all assets, personnel, rights, and obligations of the former Fund established under Decision No. 04/2021/QD-TTg.

The Prime Minister issued Decision No. 437/QD-TTg dated 16 March 2026, approving the Implementation Plan for the Law on Cybersecurity No. 116/2025/QH15 dated 10 December 2025. The Decision takes effect from the date of signing. The plan assigns specific tasks to ministries, agencies, and localities for enforcing the 2025 Cybersecurity Law. This is an administrative implementation decree for a cybersecurity law, with no relevance to tax, accounting, customs, or corporate finance regulations.

The Ministry of Finance provided guidance on determining the CIT taxable revenue for withholding tax on behalf of foreign contractors under Circular 20/2026/TT-BTC, effective 12 March 2026 and applicable from the 2025 tax year. Under Article 8(1) of Decree 320/2025/ND-CP, CIT revenue includes all amounts received regardless of collection timing. For VAT credit-method taxpayers, CIT revenue excludes VAT; for direct-method taxpayers, CIT revenue includes VAT. For foreign contractors subject to the direct-rate CIT method, where the contract price already includes CIT but excludes Vietnamese VAT, the CIT taxable revenue equals the contract price (VAT is not added on top). The CIT taxable revenue does not include the VAT payable.