Tunis/Tunisia — The global reform of the tax system in Tunisia is part of the main reform axis for free initative and fair competition, said the Prime Ministry on Friday in the follow-up document of the implementation of the reform programme.

The government aspires to improve the state's capacity to collect tax revenues and beef-up the budget without burdening economic operators. It also aims to put in place a fair and transparent tax system that contributes to the promotion of private investment.

The objective is to guarantee a better vision for the various economic actors in the long and medium term and to preserve their rights by limiting tax disparities.

The government plans to step up the fight against tax evasion and the parallel economy; it plans to continue broadening the tax base, rationalising tax benefits, digitalising the tax administration and streamlining services for taxpayers within a framework of transparency.

The tax legislation would be adapted to the accounting legislation to better determine the tax result, in addition to the simplification of the VAT system (Value Added Tax) by reducing the number of rates and improving the system of refunding VAT credits.

The sustainable and global economy is another component that is gaining more and more ground in Tunisia's reform programmes. In this context, the government plans to revise the tax systems of certain polluting activities and energy products and to study and unify the various levies and duties into a single duty called "carbon duty."

The tax authorities recovered accumulated debts of around 920 million dinars (MD) up to the end of May 2022 within the framework of the 2022 finance law.