Tag Archives | Tax reform

Iraqi PM emphasises Private Sector Support for Economic Reform

By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani presided over the Tax Conference for Economic Development and Investment Promotion in Baghdad, stressing that supporting the private sector is central to Iraq's economic reform agenda. He highlighted the government's commitment to providing an attractive environment for investors, implementing global business and taxation standards, and ensuring flexibility […]

IBBC Welcomes New Member

By John Lee. The Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) has announced that Baghdad-based conference and business consultancy provider EMAAL has joined as a member. According to a statement from the IBBC, the business is owned and run by Dr Ali Mahjob (pictured), who previously started the Iraq24 TV station, which focuses on business. EMAAL will […]

Iraq Reports 22% Growth in Tax Revenues

By John Lee. Iraq's Higher Committee for Tax Reform has announced a 22-percent increase in tax revenues, reaching IQD 4 trillion [$3 billion] in 2024, as the country moves towards digitising its tax system to address name duplication issues and improve efficiency. According to state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), Khalid Al-Jabri, a committee member, stated […]

Iraqi PM Suspends "Unlawful" increase in Real Estate Transfer Tax

By John Lee. Iraq's Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, has ordered the suspension of a recent tax hike on real estate transfers. According to a statement from the Prime Minister's office, the increase was issued by the Director General of the General Tax Authority without approval from the High Committee for Tax Reform, and it […]

Iraq Sees 22% Growth in Tax Revenues

By John Lee. Iraq's Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, chaired a meeting of the High Committee for Tax Reform on Thursday. The committee reviewed the implementation of various government reform measures that led to a 22% increase in tax revenues as of early August, compared to the same period last year. Al-Sudani emphasized that tax […]

Tax in Iraq: IMF Identifies 6 areas for Reform

By John Lee. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has published a "High Level Summary Technical Assistance Report" looking at the tax system in Iraq. The report identifies six core reform areas: Establishing a reliable taxpayer base; Improving core functions through implementation of the SA system; Focusing on large taxpayers' compliance; Organizational design and workforce planning; […]

Iraqi PM Highlights Tax Evasion

By John Lee. Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani presided over the Tax System Reform Conference in Iraq on Wednesday. In his address, he commended the organizers for their dedication to tax reform, acknowledging the insightful research contributions from government officials, business leaders, and international organizations. He said that total imports, according to data from the […]

KRG Approves Reforms to Kurdistan Tax System

KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani chaired a meeting of the cabinet on Wednesday to discuss implementing best practice for the taxation system of the Kurdistan Region. The ministers reviewed an internal pilot project tasked with developing a new legal and auditing framework. The framework updates current auditing practices and […]

Making Ends Meet in Iraqi Kurdistan

By Mark DeWeaver. Last November I was back at the American University of Iraq’s Institute of International and Regional Studies in Sulimaniyah, researching a report on the KRG’s latest economic reform initiatives. I was surprised to find that the KRG now has some promising programs underway to increase revenues and cut expenses. Given the dire […]