Vietnam welcomes EU decision to remove it from tax blacklist

“The move reflects Vietnam’s efforts to strengthen its legal framework, policies, and enforcement to create a stable and transparent investment environment aligned with international standards,” Hang said.

She emphasized that these reforms protect the rights of businesses and investors while boosting competitiveness and international economic cooperation.

Hang added that Vietnam is ready to continue working with international partners, including the EU, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit to promote tax transparency, improve corporate governance, and build a fair and sustainable global business environment.

The Council of the European Union on Friday announced that Vietnam and Panama had been removed from Annex I of the EU’s list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes, in recognition of their recent tax reforms.

Vietnam has been approved for reassessment and will therefore be placed in Annex II, which reflects ongoing EU cooperation with its international partners and the commitments of these countries to reform their legislation to meet agreed standards of good tax governance.

Established in 2017, the EU's list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes is part of the bloc’s external strategy on taxation and aims to contribute to ongoing efforts to promote good tax governance worldwide.

The list is updated twice a year, with the next revision scheduled for February 2027.