Country guide
Georgia for nomads: TBC banking, GEL cash and 1% tax
By DmytroLast checked
- Currency
- GEL
- Crypto tax
- Individuals’ income from supplying crypto exempt
- Tax residence test
- 183 days in a continuous 12-month period
Short answer
In Georgia you pay in lari (GEL). TBC Bank lists a passport and a phone number for foreigners opening an account in a branch. Small Business Status taxes qualifying Georgian-source income at 1% up to GEL 500,000 a year, and an individual’s income from supplying crypto-assets is exempt from income tax.
Paying on the trip
For local spending, compare the GEL amount debited after conversion and fees. A USD or EUR balance converts like any other foreign currency.
Carry some lari for places that take only cash.
ATMs differ in the currencies they dispense and in their limits; check the machine before counting on a USD withdrawal.
Banks and cards
Before you visit a TBC branch, ask for the full document list for your nationality, residence and intended use of the account.
Confirm which phone numbers TBC accepts for codes and whether your work calls for a business account.
Ask for the current tariff for the account, card issue, maintenance, conversion and cash withdrawals.
Currency, ATMs and cash
At exchange offices, compare the final amount you receive after commission.
Crypto rules
The income-tax exemption for supplying crypto-assets comes from the Finance Ministry’s Public Decision No. 201 of 2019. Income you receive in crypto for work or services is taxed under the normal rules.
The same decision sets the VAT treatment of supplying computing power.
Tax and residency
Your activity must qualify for Small Business Status. Once annual gross income from the activity passes GEL 500,000, 3% applies from the month of the excess to year-end (GEL 700,000 for wine and agro-tourism operators). Under Article 104, services you actually render in Georgia are Georgian-source income wherever the client is.
The usual residence test is 183 days or more within a continuous 12-calendar-month period ending in the tax year, which can differ from a January–December count.
Checklist
- Bring a phone number that can receive SMS; a data-only travel eSIM has none.
- Get Small Business Status granted before you invoice at 1%.
- Track yearly income against the GEL 500,000 threshold.
- Record where you do the work, for residence and income-source purposes.
Sources
- Tax Code of Georgia: Articles 90 and 104 — Legislative Herald of Georgia
- Georgia: Information on Residency for tax purposes (Tax Code, Article 34) — OECD, information provided by the Georgia Revenue Service
- Public Decision No. 201 of 28 June 2019 on the taxation of supplying crypto-assets and the computing power to obtain them — Georgia Ministry of Finance
- Banking for Expats in Georgia — TBC Bank
Tax, visa and residence rules depend on your situation, so confirm them with the official authority. How we compare