YEREVAN, April 29. / ARKA /. All 21 Armenia-based commercial banks were among the 1000 largest corporate taxpayers in the first quarter of 2014, having paid a total of 8.9 billion drams in various taxes, up from 8.6 billion paid in the first quarter of 2013, according to the State Revenue Committee.

The State Revenue Committee said some 8.84 billion drams were collected by tax and about 72.7 million drams by customs authorities.

Of that amount about 8.27 billion drams were direct taxes and 574.9 million were indirect taxes (including VAT and excise taxes); another 65.7 million drams were collected as duties and mandatory payments

The banks accounted for 5.7 % of the total taxes paid during the period by the 1000 largest corporate taxpayers.

The leading five banks by size of paid taxes were ACBA-CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK, which paid  about 1.18 billion drams (17th place), VTB Bank (Armenia ) - about 1 billion drams (22nd), HSBC Bank Armenia - 850 million drams (28th , Ardshininvestbank - 731.4 million drams. – (33rd), and Unibank 714.7 million drams (37th).

The list of 100 largest taxpayers included Ameriabank - about 711.6 million drams (38th), ArmBusinessBank - about 545.2 million drams (50th, Araratbank - about 454.2 million drams (63rd) Inecobank - more than 441.1 million drams (66th), Conversebank - 377.7 million drams (76th) and Armeconombank - 336.9 million drams (88th).

Overall, the 1000 largest taxpayers in the first quarter of 2014 paid over 154.3 billion drams in taxes against 146.3 billion drams paid in January-March 2013. ($ 1 - 412.80 drams). -0-