Valve has become the largest foreign payer of value-added tax in Kazakhstan. In the first half of 2026, the company paid 11.21 billion tenge, or 74.85 million Belarusian rubles, into the country's budget. This is more than what Apple (8.54 billion tenge) and Google Play (5.35 billion tenge) paid. It is claimed that Valve accounted for approximately a quarter of all tax revenues from foreign digital platforms.

The impressive amount is explained not only by game sales on Steam. The platform earns money from subscriptions, in-game purchases, additional content, and the trade of virtual items between users: the turnover of purchases with tax could be around 81.3 billion tenge, or 55.4 million Belarusian rubles.

Valve's performance may also have been influenced by users from other CIS countries: in recent years, many have been transferring their Steam accounts to Kazakhstan. As a result, purchases made by such players can also replenish the republic's budget. It is worth noting that this trend is only gaining momentum: in 2025, Valve paid only 5.3 billion tenge into Kazakhstan's budget.