Specific Incentive
Additional financial and tax incentives for the following priority activities:Exports
- For companies that export 100% of production
- free trade system
- total deduction from the tax base of income or profits from exports for the first 10 years of activity, after which the rate falls to 50%
- Personal income tax, after deduction of two thirds of income from exports, notwithstanding the terms of article 12a of law n° 89-114 of 30 December 1989 promulgating the code pertaining to personal income tax and corporate tax, subject to the terms of article 17 of the present code, for income generated starting 1 January 2013
- Corporate tax at a rate of 10% on profits from export, subject to the terms of article 17 of the present code, for income generated starting 1 January 2013, « including exceptional profits as outlined in paragraph Ia of article 11 of the code governing personal income tax and corporate tax, with the same conditions applying for both ».
- Foreign exchange regulations
- Legal framework :
- law n°76-18 of 21 January 1976, promulgating the foreign exchange code
- law n°94-41 of 7 March 1994 governing foreign trade
- Incentives :
- foreign direct investment in Tunisia: Foreign investment can be freely made in Tunisia to set up activities and to expand. It is however subject to prior authorization for initiatives in certain sectors (transport, communications, public works, publishing and advertising…)
- foreign portfolio investments: Non residents who have made investments, in line with legislation in force, can freely transfer actual net proceeds and the added value of sale or liquidation of any capital originally invested with imported foreign currency.
- External loans : Resident companies can freely take out any loans required to do business in foreign currency from non residents:
- Loan institutions: 10 million dinars per natural year
- Companies: 3 million dinars per natural year
- by loan institutions: no ceiling
- by companies: 10 million dinars
- Rules concerning foreign staff: recruitment of foreign supervisory/management staff for companies that export 100% of production
- Legal framework:
- Article 19 of the investment incentives code
- Decree n°94-79 of 17 January 1994, setting modalities for recruitment by companies that export 100% of their production of supervisory and foremen staff holding foreign nationality
- Modalities:
- Régime fiscal de faveur au profit du personnel étranger : Le personnel étranger ainsi que les investisseurs ou leurs représentants étrangers chargés de la gérance de l’entreprise bénéficient :
- Le paiement d’un impôt forfaitaire sur le revenu fixé à 20% de la rémunération brute.
- L’exonération des droits de douane et des droits d’effet équivalent et des taxes dus à l’importation des effets personnels d’une voiture de tourisme pour chaque personne.
- Preferential tax system for foreign staff:
- La suspension de la taxe sur la valeur ajoutée et du droit de consommation sur les biens, produits et services nécessaires à la réalisation d’opérations d’exportation.
- déduction des deux tiers des revenus provenant de l’exportation de l’assiette de l’impôt sur le revenu nonobstant les dispositions de l’article 12 bis de la loi n°89-114 du 30 décembre 1989 portant promulgation du code de l’impôt sur le revenu des personnes physiques et de l’impôt sur les sociétés et ce, pour les revenus réalisés à partir du « 1er janvier 2013 ».
- Un taux de l’impôt sur les sociétés de 10% des bénéfices provenant de l’exportation et ce, pour les bénéfices réalisés à partir du « 1er janvier 2013 » « y compris les bénéfices exceptionnels prévus par le paragraphe 1 bis de l'article 11 du code de l'impôt sur le revenu des personnes physiques et de l'impôt sur les sociétés et selon les mêmes conditions ».
- Le remboursement des droits de douane et des taxes d’effet équivalent acquittés sur les matières premières et produits semi-finis importés ou acquis sur le marché local par l’entreprise pour la fabrication des biens et produits destinés à l’exportation.
- Le remboursement des droits de douane et des taxes d’effet équivalent acquittés sur les biens d’équipement importés et non fabriqués localement au titre de la part des biens et produits exportés.
- Les conditions et modalités du bénéfice de cet avantage sont fixées par décret.
- L’assouplissement des régimes de l’admission temporaire ou de l’entrepôt industriel prévus par le code des douanes au profit des biens et produits importés, destinés à être transformés en vue de leur réexportation. A cet effet, la garantie des droits et taxes à l’importation prévue par la législation douanière est remplacée par une caution forfaitaire dont le montant est fixé par décret.
NB: « Companies operating prior to 1 January 2013, for which the period of total deduction of profits or income from export or from their activity has not expired, continue to benefit from total deduction until the end of the period set for them, in line with legislation in force before the above-mentioned date. »
Transfers linked to repayment of principal and payment of interest on these loans can be effected freely.
For more details, consult the central bank of Tunisia site: www.bct.gov.tn
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Companies that export 100% of their production can recruit foreign executives and supervisory staff, up to a total of 4 people for each company, after informing the minister in charge of employment and the professional insertion of young people. If they want to go beyond this ceiling, companies will have to carry out a recruiting and Tunisification program approved by the minister in charge of employment and the professional insertion of young people.
The decision to approve or refuse this request is transmitted to the company within two weeks from the date of submission of the file to the Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training. |
Foreign staff and investors (or their foreign representatives) in charge of company management benefit from the following advantages:
Regional development
Zones de développement régional | Zones de développement régional prioritaire | |||||||||||||
Investment premium |
First group: |
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Services linked to culture: setting up a theatrical enterprise |
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Services linked to
leisure activities: - Amusement parks for families and children - Residential and camping complexes - Recreational facilities |
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Premium for State participation in expenditure for infrastructure |
25% of amounts committed by the company Second group: 75% of amounts committed by the company |
85% of amounts committed by the company . | ||||||||||||
Assumption of the employer’s contribution to the legally constituted social security system (CNSS) |
For the first group State assumption of a share of this contribution for the first five years, starting from the date of initial activity. For the second group tate assumption of this contribution for the first five years, starting from the date of initial activity and a share of this contribution for an additional period of five years, as follows:
For priority zones to be encouraged in the context of regional development, State assumption of a share of this contribution for the first ten years, starting from the date of initial activity.. | |||||||||||||
Tax incentives |
Art (23) :
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Agricultural development
Tax and financial incentives | |
Activities involving initial processing of agricultural products |
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Promotion of technology and research-development
Financial and tax incentives | ||||||||||||||
The rate of State assumption as mentioned in the first paragraph of this article
is set as follows:
All new recruitments made over the period 1 January 2009 - 31 December 2011 are eligible for this incentive. |
New promoters and small businesses
Capital holdings | New promoters | Small businesses |
in capital risk investment companies’ capital stock equity |
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in FOPRODI resources |
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Promoter’s input |
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Premium for studies and technical assistance |
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Premium for investment |
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Premium for intangible investment |
50% of the cost of investments |
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Under priority technology investment Premium |
50% of the cost of investments, up to a ceiling of 100 million TD |
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Assumption of the cost of
industrial land or premises |
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Assumption of the employer’s
contribution to the legally-constituted social security scheme (CNSS) |
For the first five years of actual
activity |
In the framework of regional development |
Nouveaux promoteurs:
New entrepreneurs with projects
that are estimated to cost 1,000,000 dinars or less can choose between capital
participation aforementioned and a reimbursable grant that does not surpass 60%
of minimum capital, the promoter needs to justify personal assets at least equal
to 10% of project capitalization. |
Support investments
Tax incentives | |
- child care |
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- International land transport |
Art (50) :
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Land passenger transport |
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Promotion immobilière de
l’habitat social - Aménagement des zones pour les activités agricoles, industrielles et touristiques. |
Déduction de 50% des revenus ou bénéfices provenant de ces projets de l'assiette de l'impôt. |
Investment to set up industrial zones is eligible for the following incentive: |
Le bénéfice de ces incitations est subordonné à l'engagement du promoteur à :
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Les entreprises de promotion immobilière qui réalisent des locaux industriels sur des terrains aménagés, réservés à l’implantation de projets industriels dans les zones d’encouragement au développement régional prévues à l’articles 23 du présent code, peuvent bénéficier : |
Le montant de la prime au titre des coûts de réalisation de ces locaux est déduit du montant global de la prime d’investissement prévue par l’article 24 du présent code et accordée aux projets industriels implantés dans ces locaux. Le montant de ces primes ainsi que les modalités et les conditions de leur octroi sont fixés par décret. Ces avantages sont accordés par décret après avis de la commission supérieure d’investissement.
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Companies working in public works and real estate promotion that undertake
infrastructure and collective equipment in the second group of zones and
priority zones being encouraged in the context of regional development |
- Deduction of 50% of profits from such initiatives from the base for taxes on personal income and corporate tax NB: Companies in operation prior to the date on which the terms of this law came into force for which the period of eligibility for the incentives outlined in articles 23 and 25 of the investment incentives code has not yet expired, as well as those companies holding a certificate attesting to submission of a declaration of intention to invest prior to the entry into force of the terms of the present law and that begin activity before 31 December 2009 continue to be eligible for these incentives until the end of the period set for them under prevailing legislation, prior to the date on which the terms of this law come into force |