Many economic policies will take effect in February 2026.

In February 2026, several prominent new policies related to the economic sector came into effect, such as stricter penalties for violations in gold trading, changes to the location for personal income tax settlement, tighter regulations on the digital advertising market, and regulations on securities trading…

Báo Tin Tức•30/01/2026

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Illustrative photo: VNA

Stricter penalties for violations in the gold trading business.

On December 25, 2025, the Government issued Decree 340/2025/ND-CP stipulating administrative penalties for violations in the monetary and banking sector, officially effective from February 9, 2026. The Decree is expected to contribute to tightening discipline in the financial and monetary market, especially in gold trading and payment intermediary services, thereby enhancing transparency and macroeconomic stability.

According to the new regulations, common violations such as buying and selling gold bars with unlicensed organizations or using gold as a means of payment will result in a warning or a fine of 10-20 million VND if the offense is repeated or committed multiple times. Violations of business procedures, including failure to process payments through bank accounts, failure to publicly display gold prices, or the production of gold jewelry and handicrafts without disclosing standards or proper labeling as required, may be subject to fines of 30-50 million VND.

Notably, penalties have been significantly increased for actions that pose a major risk to the market. Specifically, trading gold bars illegally or smuggling gold across borders can be fined from 80-100 million VND; trading gold without the necessary legal conditions, or importing/exporting gold outside of registered business lines, can be fined from 140-180 million VND. The highest penalty, from 300-400 million VND, applies to the production, trading of gold bars, or import/export of raw gold without a license.

Simultaneously, the Decree also adds penalties for violations in the field of payment intermediaries, especially e-wallets. Acts of disclosing customer information, buying, selling, or renting e-wallets illegally can be fined from 50 to 120 million VND, depending on the severity of the violation. In addition to fines, the regulatory agency may apply supplementary measures such as confiscation of evidence, suspension of operations, or revocation of licenses, with the penalty for organizations being double that for individuals.

Change of location for personal income tax settlement

According to Decree No. 373/2025/ND-CP, amending Decree 126/2020/ND-CP detailing the Law on Tax Administration, effective from February 14, 2026, the personal income tax settlement for individuals with income from salaries and wages from two or more sources will be adjusted.

Specifically, resident individuals whose income is subject to withholding tax from two or more sources will submit their tax return to the tax authority directly managing the organization that paid the largest income during the year. If multiple sources of income are equally substantial, the taxpayer may choose one of the tax authorities managing those organizations to file their tax return.

Notably, the new decree adds a mechanism to support taxpayers: if an individual submits their tax return to the wrong place, the tax authority that received the return will proactively forward it to the correct competent tax authority based on the tax industry's database, instead of requiring the individual to repeat the procedure.

Completing the legal framework for the digital advertising market.

On December 26, 2025, the Government issued Decree No. 342/2025/ND-CP detailing a number of provisions of the Law on Advertising, creating a more complete and synchronized legal framework for advertising activities in the context of a rapidly developing digital economy . This Decree takes effect from February 15, 2026.

Accordingly, for online advertising, the maximum waiting time for an ad to be closed is 5 seconds for ads in the form of a series of moving images or videos . Advertisers must also ensure that the ad is closed with only one interaction; there should be no fake or indistinguishable ad-closing icons. At the same time, the Decree stipulates that viewers must not be forced to wait to close static image ads.

The decree also clarifies the responsibilities of state management and specifies requirements for the content of advertisements for special products, goods, and services such as food, cosmetics, medical equipment, medicines, fertilizers, alcoholic beverages, etc., thereby contributing to increased transparency, protection of consumer rights, and a healthy competitive environment.

Export and import activities use VNeID accounts for registration.

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Container trucks carrying agricultural products await export procedures to China at Kim Thanh International Road Border Gate No. II. (Illustrative photo: Quoc Khanh/TTXVN)

The Ministry of Finance has just issued Circular No. 121/2025/TT-BTC amending and supplementing a number of regulations on customs procedures, export tax, import tax and tax management for exported and imported goods, effective from February 1, 2026.

According to the Circular, all customs declaration activities are carried out through the Customs Electronic Data Processing System. Organizations and individuals involved in export and import use their VNeID electronic identification accounts to register and carry out procedures, gradually replacing traditional methods. Standardizing and digitizing the process not only shortens customs clearance time but also helps businesses reduce paperwork and labor costs and limit risks arising during the fulfillment of tax obligations.

Notably, customs declarants are not required to submit goods declarations in many cases related to tax processing such as tax exemptions, reductions, and refunds; tax extensions, debt restructuring, and debt cancellation; and confirmation of fulfillment of financial obligations, except when declaring using paper forms as prescribed. In addition, businesses are also exempt from submitting documents already available on the National Single Window Portal, the Online Public Service Portal, or exchanged electronically through the ASEAN Single Window and related international mechanisms.

Regulations on securities trading

On December 26, 2025, the Ministry of Finance issued Circular No. 135/2025/TT-BTC regulating securities trading, aiming to improve the legal framework, enhance the quality of human resources, and strengthen discipline and transparency in the securities market. The Circular takes effect from February 9, 2026.

The circular specifies regulations on professional certificates, electronic securities practice certificates, and mandatory training for practitioners. Notably, the regulation on converting from paper-based securities practice certificates to electronic certificates, linked to the centralized information technology management system of the State Securities Commission, is expected to help reduce administrative costs, increase supervisory efficiency, and facilitate the management of professional personnel for securities companies and fund management companies.

Limits on gold positions for credit institutions.

On December 31, 2025, the State Bank of Vietnam issued Circular No. 82/2025/TT-NHNN regulating the gold position of credit institutions, which officially takes effect from February 12, 2026.

According to the Circular, the end-of-day gold position limit for credit institutions is strictly determined based on their equity capital. Specifically, credit institutions permitted to produce gold bars are only allowed to maintain a maximum gold position of 5% of their equity capital; meanwhile, institutions permitted to trade in gold bars are not allowed to exceed 2% of their equity capital, except in certain specific cases as stipulated. The equity capital used as the basis for calculation is the capital of the month immediately preceding the reporting period, determined according to regulations on safety ratios in banking operations.

Notably, the Circular stipulates that credit institutions are not allowed to maintain a negative gold position, thereby limiting speculation, excessive leverage, and the risk of financial imbalance. In exceptional cases, credit institutions are only permitted to maintain a gold position beyond the limit with the approval of the Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam...

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/nhieu-chinh-sach-kinh-te-co-hieu-luc-trong-thang-22026-20260130112305266.htm