Filing a claim in an economic court

A company should begin an economic dispute by checking the court’s jurisdiction, venue, limitation period, and any mandatory pre-action claim. It then selects order, simplified, or general claim proceedings, calculates the state duty—at least one BRV for a property claim—and files the application with evidence on paper or through E-SUD.

In brief:

• A standard pre-action claim under a commercial contract is voluntary unless the law or contract establishes a mandatory procedure.
• A court order is available only for a closed list of documentary claims; an objection by the debtor moves the dispute into claim proceedings.
• Simplified proceedings are mandatory where the value of a claim against a company does not exceed 66.000.000 soums (150 BRV), or 44.000.000 soums (100 BRV) against an individual entrepreneur.
• The duty on a property claim is 2% of its value, subject to a minimum of 440.000 soums; a small business pays half of the prescribed rate.
• Before filing, check the claim, proof of contractual performance, signatories’ authority, service of copies on the parties, and preservation of electronic originals.

Updated: 05 September 2026

Where to start preparing a claim

First identify the right the company seeks to protect, the proper defendant, and whether the limitation period has expired. The general limitation period is three years (Art. 150 CC), although special periods apply to particular obligations. The subject of the claim is the substantive demand against the defendant; its grounds are the facts from which that demand follows. Mixing the two makes it harder to calculate the claim value and duty and to identify the required evidence.

Proper filing of a claim and acknowledgment of the debt by the defendant interrupt limitation (Art. 157 CC), causing the period to restart. A partial payment, reconciliation statement, or letter may amount to acknowledgment if signed by an authorized person. A returned or unaccepted claim does not itself interrupt limitation; interruption dates from the original filing only if a higher court reverses the relevant ruling. These points are explained in the limitation resolution.

Also check the contract for an arbitration agreement. If a valid agreement exists, the state court will leave the dispute without consideration when the defendant objects in its first substantive statement. If the agreement is invalid, inoperative, or incapable of being performed, the economic court may continue with the case.

When a pre-action claim is required

The pre-action procedure is mandatory only when the law establishes it for the relevant category of dispute or the parties prescribe a procedure in their contract. In that case, proceedings may be commenced only after an attempt at pre-action settlement (Art. 148 EPC). A general clause about resolving disagreements amicably, without a process, addressee, deadline, or response method, does not by itself create a mandatory procedure, as the Supreme Court Plenum has explained.

Under the Law on the Contractual and Legal Framework, a business may, but is not always required to, send a claim. It must be in writing and contain the following information (Art. 17):

1. the names of sender and recipient;
2. the date and number;
3. the circumstances of the breach;
4. supporting evidence;
5. the demands;
6. the amount, calculation, payment and postal details;
7. a list of attachments.

The head of the organization or a deputy signs the claim. It is sent by registered or insured mail, by another method that records the sender and the recipient’s notification, or delivered against receipt. The recipient must respond within 15 days (Art. 18), unless a special law sets another period. A commercial-contract dispute may be filed without a claim (Art. 19) if neither the law nor the contract makes one mandatory.

Failure to follow a mandatory procedure before acceptance results in return of the claim (Art. 155 EPC). If the defect is found after acceptance, the claim is left without consideration; if the procedure can no longer be completed, proceedings are terminated. Leaving the claim without consideration does not bar a new filing after the defect has been cured, if cure remains possible.

Example. A contract requires a claim to be sent to the registered address and allows 15 days for a response. The company attaches its debt calculation and statements to the claim and keeps the postal receipt and delivery notice. It files after the contractual period expires and attaches both the claim and proof of delivery.

How to determine jurisdiction and venue

Economic courts primarily hear disputes in the economic sphere between legal entities and registered individual entrepreneurs. Their jurisdiction also includes cases concerning legally significant economic facts, insolvency, domestic and international arbitration, compulsory enforcement of mediation agreements, corporate, investment, and competition matters, and recognition of foreign judgments and arbitral awards. The complete list of parties and subject matters is set out in the code (Art. 25 EPC).

Typical corporate claims concern performance, amendment, or termination of a contract; invalidity of a transaction; recovery of debt, penalties, or damages; recognition of title; recovery of property; and protection of intellectual property or business reputation. This is a practical rather than exhaustive grouping: the law gives the full list of disputes (Art. 26 EPC).

If an application belongs in a civil or administrative court, the economic court transfers it to the court with subject-matter jurisdiction; courts may not dispute jurisdiction between themselves. This transfer mechanism (Art. 31-1 EPC) should be distinguished from return for improper territorial venue under the current code.

At the court-level stage, an ordinary dispute is heard by an interdistrict economic court. A matter involving a nonresident foreign party, a dispute connected with arbitration, or recognition of a foreign decision is heard by the Court of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, a regional court, or the Tashkent City Court. Certain economic agreements of governing bodies and some investment or competition matters go to a different court level (Art. 32 EPC).

Territorial venue is checked as follows:

The parties may vary general or alternative venue by agreement, including choosing extraterritorial venue, but may not vary exclusive venue. With an extraterritorial clause, the specific court is selected by an automated system under the venue rules (Art. 38 EPC).

This article does not cover special insolvency proceedings: after they begin, creditor claims may need to be presented under separate rules. The article on bankruptcy and liquidation explains when a debt must be submitted in the insolvency case.

Order, simplified, or general claim proceedings

Value is only one factor in choosing a procedure. The company must also determine whether the debtor acknowledges the debt, whether witnesses or an expert are needed, and whether objections are expected. A court order is an enforceable instrument available for a closed list of uncontested demands. Simplified proceedings remain claim proceedings but are decided on the documents without a hearing. General claim proceedings suit disputed facts, complex demands, and cases without special conditions.

The grounds for an order form a closed list (Art. 135 EPC). The application identifies the court and parties, states the demand, circumstances, evidence, calculation and debt period, and lists its attachments; these requirements are prescribed by law (Art. 136 EPC). Attach proof of the duty and postal costs, delivery of a copy to the debtor, and the basis of the claim; utility claims require a special document set (Art. 138 EPC).

For acknowledged receivables, provide the contract, documents showing delivery of goods, performance of works, or provision of services, and originals acknowledging the debt: a reconciliation statement, correspondence, or another document. This set is expressly identified in the order resolution. The order is issued after 10 days (Art. 143 EPC) from delivery of the application to the debtor. An objection or a dispute that cannot be decided on documents results in refusal of an order (Art. 144 EPC), after which the creditor files a claim. For a valid reason, a debtor may seek cancellation of an issued order within ten days (Art. 147 EPC) of receiving a copy.

Simplified proceedings are mandatory within the thresholds, except for corporate disputes and cases applying legal sanctions. The court moves to the general procedure if a third party joins, an incompatible counterclaim is accepted, protected information may be disclosed, further evidence, inspection, an expert, or witnesses are needed, or the decision may affect third parties. Every ground for transfer is listed in the code (Art. 203-2 EPC).

How much filing costs

Court costs consist of the state duty and litigation expenses. Expenses include payments to experts, specialists, witnesses, and interpreters; on-site inspection, postal and videoconference costs; and other expenses the court finds necessary. The list is prescribed by the code (Art. 116 EPC).

The value of a monetary claim is the amount sought; claimed penalties are included and separate demands are aggregated. If the value is wrong, the court determines it (Art. 114 EPC).

The duty is paid before filing, and an electronic or paper payment record is attached. If the value is denominated in foreign currency, it is converted to soums at the Central Bank rate on the filing date. These rules are set out in the law (Art. 17).

The court cannot release a company from the duty or reduce its rate at its own discretion, but may defer payment based on the company’s financial position. The motion and financial evidence are filed with the claim; the approach is explained in the costs resolution. The duty is subject to refund (Art. 18 of the Law) after an overpayment, return or refusal to accept the claim, and in certain cases of termination or leaving without consideration.

Example. A company seeks principal debt of 100,000,000 soums. The ordinary duty is 100,000,000 × 2% = 2,000,000 soums, above the minimum of 440.000 soums. If the claimant is a small business, it pays 2,000,000 × 50% = 1,000,000 soums. For an order on a documentarily acknowledged debt, an ordinary company pays 1,000,000 soums and a small business pays 500,000 soums.

What to write in and attach to the claim

The company head or a representative signs the claim. The application contains nine groups of information (Art. 149 EPC):

1. the name of the court;
2. the parties’ names and postal addresses;
3. the value of the claim;
4. the circumstances supporting the demands;
5. supporting evidence;
6. a calculation of the amount claimed or contested;
7. the demands with references to legislation, separately for each defendant;
8. information about the mandatory pre-action procedure;
9. a list of attachments.

Before filing, the claimant must send the defendant and third parties a copy of the claim and documents they do not have. This may also be done through the information system (Art. 150 EPC). Attach proof of the duty and postal costs, service of copies, compliance with any mandatory pre-action procedure, the facts of the claim, the claimant’s state registration, and the signatory’s authority. A demand to compel conclusion of a contract requires a draft, and a change of venue requires the parties’ agreement. The basic list is prescribed by law (Art. 151 EPC).

A company power of attorney is signed by its head or another person authorized by its constitutional documents and sealed if a seal exists. This follows from the code (Art. 62 EPC). The instrument must separately state the power to sign a claim, refer a dispute to arbitration, abandon or admit demands, change the subject or grounds, conclude a settlement, mediation settlement, or mediation agreement, delegate authority, appeal, seek review, demand enforcement, and receive money or property. Otherwise the representative may not take those steps; special powers must be stated expressly (Art. 63 EPC).

Foreign documents require a properly certified translation into the state language or the language of the proceedings. A failure identified before acceptance results in return, as explained in the foreign-party resolution. Depending on the country and international treaty, legalization or an apostille may be necessary.

Which documents and evidence prove a debt

A strong package shows the entire chain: creation of the obligation, the claimant’s performance, the payment due date, the amount owed, breach, and acknowledgment or denial of the debt. Each party proves the facts behind its demands and objections and must disclose evidence (Art. 68 EPC) to the other participants in advance.

The EPC recognizes physical, written, and digital evidence, expert opinions, specialist explanations, witness testimony, and party explanations; unlawfully obtained information may not be used. The types are listed in the code (Art. 66 EPC). The court accepts only evidence relevant to the dispute (Art. 71 EPC), and a fact for which the law requires a specific document cannot be proved by another form of evidence.

Statements, contracts, certificates, and business correspondence, including correspondence received electronically, are written evidence. They are submitted in original or a duly certified copy; the original is required when the law or court requires it. These rules are set out in the code (Art. 75 EPC). Neither a reconciliation statement nor any other single document has predetermined weight: the court evaluates the reliability and completeness of the evidence as a whole (Art. 74 EPC).

If a required document is held by the defendant, a bank, or a third party and the company cannot obtain it, a motion to obtain evidence must identify the document, explain the facts it will establish, and state where it is held. The requirements for such a motion are defined by the code (Art. 69 EPC).

Electronic data are submitted while preserving the original medium, which the court may inspect with a specialist. This is provided by the code (Art. 76-1 EPC). Files, audio, video, and online information are digital evidence if their integrity and identity are preserved. A simple printout of a digital file does not itself become written evidence, except for notarized digital evidence. These requirements are contained in the code (Art. 76-2 EPC).

How to file through E-SUD

Electronic filing has the same procedural basis as paper filing: the application and attachments may be submitted as electronic documents (Art. 3 EPC). When the case is maintained electronically, a participant’s documents are authenticated with an electronic digital signature (Art. 4 EPC).

In the E-SUD account, select the application type and court, complete the claimant and defendant details and claim value, attach the claim, calculation and evidence, specify the payments, and submit the package. The legally significant date and time are those shown in the information system’s delivery notice. Save the notice and the submitted version of every file to prove the filing time and contents of the package.

The digitalization program provided that the Adolat suite would support electronic claims, online tracking, document exchange, and automated creation of court documents. These functions are established by PP-4818 of 3 September 2020. Interface names and screens may change, but the EPC requirements for contents and attachments remain applicable.

How to request interim measures

Interim relief is needed where, without a temporary measure, the defendant may conceal, move, or dispose of an asset, or enforcement of a future decision may become difficult. An application is permitted at any stage (Art. 93 EPC) after proceedings commence and may be filed with the claim.

The Economic Procedural Code permits:

1. attachment of the defendant’s property or money;
2. an order preventing the defendant from taking specified actions;
3. an order preventing other persons from acting in relation to the disputed subject;
4. suspension of collection under a contested uncontested instrument;
5. suspension of a sale where release of property from attachment is disputed;
6. an obligation on the defendant to prevent damage to or deterioration of disputed property;
7. transfer of the disputed property to a custodian.

The court may apply other or multiple measures, but each must be proportionate to the demand. The complete list and proportionality principle are set out in the code (Art. 94 EPC). The application identifies the court and parties, states the dispute, explains the need, and specifies the requested measure and attachments; the motion may be included in the claim (Art. 95 EPC).

An application filed with the claim is considered together with acceptance. If filed later outside a hearing, it is considered by the next day (Art. 96 EPC), without notice to the parties; if filed at a hearing, it is decided there. The ruling is enforced immediately, and an appeal does not stay enforcement.

The court does not require full proof of the claim at this stage, but checks the grounds and need for the measure, its connection to the subject and enforcement of the future act, and its proportionality. No measure is available before proceedings commence, except to secure a claim in arbitration; relief is available in simplified proceedings. These rules are explained by the Plenum resolution of 3 July 2026.

So-called counter-security is not an automatic payment by the claimant. At the defendant’s request, the court may secure compensation for possible losses; this is allowed by the list of interim measures (Art. 94 EPC). For a monetary claim, the defendant may replace a restriction by paying the disputed amount into the court deposit (Art. 97 EPC). If the claim succeeds, the measure remains until enforcement; following refusal, termination, or leaving without consideration, it remains until the act takes effect unless separately cancelled. These periods are prescribed by the code (Art. 99 EPC). After a final refusal, the defendant may bring a separate claim for losses caused by relief (Art. 100 EPC).

What happens after filing

Within five days (Art. 152 EPC), the judge decides whether to accept the claim, refuse acceptance, return it, or transfer it for subject-matter jurisdiction. A compliant claim must be accepted. Even without a payment record or substantive evidence, a claim may be accepted if the claimant files and the court grants a motion to defer or pay by installments, or to obtain inaccessible evidence; this is expressly permitted by the code (Art. 153 EPC).

Under the current EPC model, a defective claim filed directly in an economic court is generally returned rather than left without progress. Grounds for return are listed in the code (Art. 155 EPC):

1. the claim’s form or content is defective;
2. it is unsigned or signed by an unauthorized or unidentified person;
3. the case is territorially outside the court’s venue;
4. demands from different types of proceedings are combined;
5. there is no proof that copies were sent;
6. the duty, postal costs, or an admissible deferral or installment motion is missing;
7. there is no proof of mandatory pre-action claim or mediation;
8. unrelated demands are joined;
9. there is no proof of approaching the bank where required;
10. the claimant asks for return before acceptance.

The ruling may be appealed. After correction, the package may be refiled; if the ruling is reversed, the original filing date is retained. These consequences form part of the rules on return (Art. 155 EPC).

After acceptance, other defects may cause the claim to be left without consideration, including an improper signature, failure to follow a mandatory pre-action procedure, or the claimant’s first absence without a request to proceed in its absence. The complete list is set by the code (Art. 107 EPC). Once the cause is removed, a party may file again (Art. 109 EPC), but limitation and duty should be checked afresh.

How the case proceeds after acceptance

The defendant may submit a response with objections and documents within 20 days (Art. 156 EPC) of the preparation ruling, ensuring it reaches the court for consideration and sending copies to the other participants. The court determines the applicable law, parties, necessary evidence, and possibility of settlement. At the pretrial hearing, it clarifies the demands and objections and discusses a counterclaim, evidence, and schedule; this procedure is provided by the code (Art. 163-1 EPC).

A preparation ruling is issued within five days (Art. 162 EPC) of receipt, or within ten days of acceptance if a pretrial hearing is held. Participants may join by videoconference (Art. 166 EPC). Failure to respond does not halt the case, and the court need not wait for a properly notified defendant. A claimant wishing the case to proceed without it should apply in advance; otherwise its first absence may cause the claim to be left without consideration. The rules on absence are in the code (Art. 170 EPC).

A settlement agreement is available in economic proceedings, while mediation is possible before court, during the case until the court retires to decide, and during enforcement. The time limits are set by law (Art. 15). If the dispute is resolved by a mediation settlement, the paid duty is refunded except where settlement occurs during enforcement; this is provided by law (Art. 17).

Costs are allocated in proportion to the successful demands. If the dispute arose because a mandatory pre-action procedure was breached—for example, the recipient failed to respond or send requested documents—the court may order the defaulting party to bear costs regardless of outcome. This is provided by the code (Art. 118 EPC).

An ordinary contractual dispute between companies belongs in the economic court, while a challenge to a tax authority’s official decision falls within administrative proceedings. The process, periods, and consequences are explained in the article on tax authority appeals.

What changed in 2025–2026

• Plenum Resolution No. 19 of 3 July 2026 systematized practice on interim measures in civil, administrative, and economic cases. For economic proceedings it confirmed the need to specify a measure, its connection with the claim, and its proportionality, the prohibition on ordinary pre-filing relief, and the availability of relief in simplified proceedings.
• UP-160 of 14 August 2026 approved a future “single window” reform: it proposes that an application no longer be returned solely for territorial venue but transferred by the court, and that minor formal defects be cured after acceptance. Until the EPC is amended, the current return rule (Art. 155 EPC) applies.

What to check before filing

Before filing, the company should be able to confirm each point:

• the dispute is within economic-court jurisdiction, the correct defendant is named, and the right court level is selected;
• general, alternative, exclusive, and contractual venue have been checked against the contract and registered address;
• limitation has not expired, and any acknowledgment is documented by an authorized person;
• a mandatory pre-action claim was sent exactly as required by law or contract;
• the right procedure is selected: an order only for a documentarily acknowledged demand, a simplified claim for a case decidable on documents, and a general claim for a full dispute;
• the claim value and duty are calculated separately for each independent demand;
• the contract, primary records, reconciliation statements, payments, and correspondence form a continuous evidentiary chain;
• copies were served on participants, and the authority of the claim signatory and representative is documented;
• electronic files are readable, signed with an electronic digital signature where required, and preserved with the E-SUD notice;
• the interim measure is specific, connected to future enforcement, and no greater than the demand.

Frequently asked questions

Is a pre-action claim mandatory before filing in an economic court?

Not always. It is mandatory if the law expressly requires it for the category of dispute or the contract contains a defined claim procedure. A general amicable-settlement clause without a process and deadline is usually insufficient. Even when voluntary, a claim helps record the amount, period, defendant’s position, and acknowledgment. When mandatory, attach the claim and proof of delivery to the court filing.

Can a reconciliation statement support a court order?

Yes, if it unambiguously confirms acknowledged receivables and is signed by an authorized person for the debtor. One statement may not show the entire history of the obligation, so the order application should also include the contract and documents proving delivery, work, or services. If the debtor objects or the signature or amount is disputed, the court may refuse the order and the creditor must use claim proceedings.

Can an economic-court claim be filed online?

Yes. The EPC allows an application and attachments to be submitted as electronic documents through the information system. In an electronic case, documents are authenticated with an electronic digital signature. In E-SUD, select the proper court and procedure, attach readable files, payment records, and proof that copies were sent to the participants. Keep the system delivery notice because it proves the filing date and time.

Is a state duty payable for interim measures?

The State Duty Law does not list an ordinary motion for interim measures as a separate dutiable item. The principal claim must still be paid unless an exemption or a granted deferral applies. Interim relief does not replace proof of the claim: the applicant separately explains the enforcement risk, the requested measure’s connection to the demand, and proportionality.

What should a company do if its claim is returned for the wrong court or missing documents?

The return ruling may be appealed. If the defect exists, it is generally faster to correct the court address, signature, authority, payment, or proof of service and refile. Return does not interrupt limitation, so delaying correction is risky. The 2026 strategy contemplates future transfer by the court and cure of minor formal defects after acceptance, but the current EPC applies until amendments take effect.