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Introduction to Egyptian Taxation Basics

This document provides an overview of tax accounting in Egypt. It defines key tax terms like taxpayer, taxable income, and tax revenue. It describes the objectives of taxation and types of taxes like direct, indirect, proportional, and progressive taxes. It outlines the history of Egypt's tax system from 1939 to the current system established in 2005 by Law 91, which divides taxes into those on individual income, corporate profits, and withholding.

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ISLAM KHALED ZSC
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13 views6 pages

Introduction to Egyptian Taxation Basics

This document provides an overview of tax accounting in Egypt. It defines key tax terms like taxpayer, taxable income, and tax revenue. It describes the objectives of taxation and types of taxes like direct, indirect, proportional, and progressive taxes. It outlines the history of Egypt's tax system from 1939 to the current system established in 2005 by Law 91, which divides taxes into those on individual income, corporate profits, and withholding.

Uploaded by

ISLAM KHALED ZSC
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

TAX ACCOUNTING

Chapter One
An Introduction to Taxation

Learning Objectives
After ending this chapter, you should know:
1. Tax definition, objectives, and some basic terms used in taxation.
2. Types of Taxes.
3. Structure of the Egyptian tax system (A brief history).
1.1. Tax Definition, Objectives, and some Basic Terms Used in
Taxation.
This chapter presents an overview of income taxation and of tax accounting
in general as a backdrop to more detailed provisions of the tax follow in the
subsequent chapters. Before beginning our exploration of the Egyptian tax
environment, some basic terms must be known & understood well.
1.1.1. The Tax
The tax can be defined as a cash imposition which is collected by the state
from individuals and establishments according to certain rules and laws to
cover public expenditures and achieve economic and social welfare. Thus, the
following points can be concluded about the tax:
- An imposition because it is imposed and collected by the state according
to laws and regulations.
- Cash because it is paid in cash.
- Paid to state according to certain rules.
- Used by government to cover public spending such as health, education,
and utilities in form of roads, water, electricity….

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TAX ACCOUNTING

Taxes are levied to achieve the following objectives:


• Raise necessary government revenues to pay for the public goods and
services provided by the government.
• Redistribute wealth.
• Foster economic growth.
• Promote social fairness by enhancing: Horizontal equity (persons in
similar circumstances should face similar tax burdens), & Vertical equity
(persons with higher incomes should pay not only more tax but also
higher percentages of their income as tax).
1.1.2. Taxpayer
A taxpayer is any person or organization required by the law to pay a tax to
the state. It refers to both natural persons (individuals) and corporations or
other forms of companies (legal persons).
1.1.3. Incidence of a Tax
The incidence of a tax refers to the burden represented by the tax. It means
the person that paid a direct tax payment to the state bears the incidence of
such tax. However, in some cases the taxpayer can shift the incidence to a
third party such as the value added tax.
1.1.4. Taxable Income
The taxable income is the amount that subjects to tax which equals the taxable
(approved) revenues after deducting deductible (approved) expenses.
1.1.5. Tax Base
Tax base is the amount that subjects to tax after deducting the exempted
bracket.
1.1.6. Tax Amount
The tax amount = Tax Base x Tax Rate
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TAX ACCOUNTING

1.1.7. Tax Revenue


Is the total tax collected by the state and available for public use.
1.2. Types of Taxes
Taxes can be divided into different types according to their nature and kind.
According to the person who bears its burden
Direct Tax Indirect Tax
Tax is considered direct if the person Tax is considered indirect if the
who bears its burden is the one who person who pays the tax can transfer
pays it, such as, taxes on its burden to another person, such as
income, taxes on ownership of value added tax (as the seller can
real estate transfer the tax burden to the buyer
in the form of an increase in the
selling price) and stamp tax.
According to the way by which they are imposed
Qualitative (Schedule) Taxes Unified Taxes
Are those imposed on each kind of Are those imposed on total incomes
income (or expenditure) according to (or expenditure) regardless the
its source at different independent sources of income at a unified rate,
rates, such as, taxes on expenditure such as, tax on income of natural
and consumption. Person.
According to taxpayer s payment capacity
Personal Taxes In kind Taxes
Are those considering the taxpayer’s Are those do not consider the
payment capacity and grant him taxpayer’s payment capacity and are
some personal exemptions, such as, imposed on total income of the
the cost of minimum living limit. taxpayer without granting him any
For example: exemptions for the cost of minimum
Tax on natural person s living limit, such as, Value added tax
income. (VAT).
According to the tax rate type
Proportional Taxes Escalating (progressive) Taxes
Are those imposed at a fixed rate on Are those imposed at escalated rates
the taxable income regardless its on the taxable income regarding its
amount or type, such as, tax on amount, i.e., the tax rate increases
income of Legal Persons (22.5 %). with the increase in the taxable

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TAX ACCOUNTING

amount, such as, tax on income of


natural person.
The progressive tax system is based
on the fundamental belief that those
taxpayers who enjoy a higher level
of income should pay a greater
proportion of the taxes to support the
government spendings.
According to the tax collection method
Taxes are not deducted at source Taxes are deducted at source
Are those paid directly by taxpayer Are those deducted from income of
to the tax department without an the taxpayer at source by an
intermediary, such as, tax on income intermediary who is obligated to pay
of natural persons. the proceeds of these taxes to the tax
department, such as, income tax on
salaries and the like.

1.3. Structure of the Egyptian Tax System (A Brief History)


The Egyptian tax system has been subjected to many developments since the
year 1939 up to date. These developments can be summarized in (5) stages:
- The first stage: Law 14/1939: In this stage the qualitative tax system was
applied as each type of income was subjected to a separate tax rate
different from the other taxes in income subject to tax (the exemptions
and the tax rates). The taxes on income according to law 14/1939 were
as follows: tax on revenues from agriculture lands, tax on revenues from
real estate, tax on revenues from movable capitals, tax on profits of
commercial and industrial activities, tax on salaries and wages, and tax
on profits of non-commercial professions.
- The second stage: Law 99/1949: In this stage the general tax on income
was added as complementary tax to the qualitative taxes which were
imposed by Law 14/1939. The general tax on income is a progressive tax
and a personal tax.
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TAX ACCOUNTING

- The third stage: Law 157/1981: In this stage the income tax system was
divided into two groups: taxes on income and tax on corporation's profits.
- The fourth stage: Law 187/1993: In this stage the unified tax on income
of natural persons was imposed in addition to tax on corporation's profits.
- The fifth stage (current stage): Law 91/2005: According to this law, the
income tax system is divided into three groups:
(a) Tax on income of natural persons, includes, salaries and the like, commercial
and industrial activities, non-commercial profession, and real estate wealth.
(b) Tax on profits of legal persons, includes, partnerships, corporations, co-
operation societies, general organizations, banks and foreign companies,
entities created by local governments.
(c) Tax withheld at source. Tax withheld at source is due on three cases as
follows:
- The amounts, paid by owners of individual firms, legal persons residing in
Egypt and non-resident bodies which have establishments in Egypt, to non-
residents in Egypt.
In the following chapters we will discuss the tax on income of natural persons
according to law 91/2005 based on the latest amendments.

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TAX ACCOUNTING

Questions
Determine whether each of the following statements is true of false and correct
the false ones:
1. The tax is obligatory cash collected by the government form the individuals
and business entities according to specific laws and rules to provide private
services.
2. The taxes can be collected in a cash form or in-kind form.
3. The natural persons can collect taxes and spend it for private purposes.
4. The direct taxes, the taxpayer bears its burden.
5. The direct taxes are imposed on the uses of wealth.
6. The personal taxes are imposed on wealth or income regardless of its owner.
7. There is an intermediary between the taxpayer and the state in the in-direct
tax.
8. Law 91/2005is governing now the income tax system in Egypt.
9. The proportional taxes vary in tax rates with the taxable amount.
10. The taxes can be divided into direct and in-direct tax terms of the type of
the tax system.

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Common questions

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Direct taxes are those borne directly by the taxpayer, such as income taxes and real estate taxes. In contrast, indirect taxes allow the taxpayer to transfer the burden to another party, such as the value-added tax (VAT), which sellers can pass on to buyers through increased prices. Within the Egyptian context, these distinctions are exemplified by taxes on individual incomes as direct and VAT as indirect .

Taxation in the Egyptian system has several objectives: raising necessary government revenues to pay for public goods and services, redistributing wealth, fostering economic growth, and promoting social fairness. Social fairness is further delineated into horizontal equity, where individuals in similar circumstances bear similar tax burdens, and vertical equity, which requires higher-income individuals to pay not only more tax but also a higher percentage of their income .

Personal taxes take into account the taxpayer's capacity to pay by allowing exemptions like the minimum living limit, whereas in-kind taxes do not provide such exemptions and apply uniformly regardless of the taxpayer's financial status. This differentiation has significant policy implications, as personal taxes can be structured to support social equity, while in-kind taxes may disproportionately affect low-income individuals .

Proportional taxes are levied at a fixed rate regardless of the taxable amount, exemplified by corporate income taxes at a flat rate. Progressive taxes, on the other hand, impose higher tax rates as taxable income increases, adhering to the principle that taxpayers with greater financial resources should contribute a larger proportion towards public funding .

Taxes contribute to economic growth by financing essential government services and infrastructure, which are critical for private sector activities and overall economic development. Public investments in transportation, education, and healthcare facilitate a more productive workforce and enhance business competitiveness, thereby fostering economic expansion .

Vertical equity in the Egyptian tax system ensures that individuals with higher incomes not only pay more tax but also a higher percentage of their income, reflecting a progressive tax philosophy. Horizontal equity, on the other hand, mandates that individuals in similar financial circumstances incur similar tax liabilities, thereby promoting fairness across similar income groups .

The taxable income is determined by subtracting deductible expenses from approved revenues, while the tax base is the resultant amount that can be taxed after exempting certain brackets. The tax liability is then calculated by multiplying the tax base by the applicable tax rate, ensuring that only the income subject to tax is considered .

The evolution of the Egyptian tax system can be categorized into five stages: First, Law 14/1939 introduced a qualitative tax system with separate tax rates for different income types. Second, Law 99/1949 added a general income tax as a progressive and personal tax. Third, Law 157/1981 divided the system into taxes on income and corporation profits. Fourth, Law 187/1993 implemented a unified tax on natural persons' incomes and corporation profits. Finally, the current stage under Law 91/2005 comprises personal income tax, tax on legal persons, and tax withheld at source .

Differentiating taxes based on the taxpayer's ability to pay ensures that those with greater financial means contribute a fairer share to public funds while safeguarding those with lesser means. This is achieved by incorporating progressive tax rates and personal exemptions, which help mitigate the financial burden on lower-income groups, fostering economic fairness and stability within the tax system .

The incidence of a tax refers to who ultimately bears the burden of the tax. While direct taxes are typically borne directly by the taxpayer, the incidence of indirect taxes can often be shifted to another party. For instance, the incidence of a value-added tax can be shifted from the seller to the consumer by increasing the price of goods or services .

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