Jordan Times
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Agenda proposes income tax
revamp
By Francesca Sawalha
AMMAN — The National Agenda is proposing income
tax cuts, an exemption on the first JD8,000 in individual income, as well as the
cancellation of most exemptions and deductibles, all in a bid to boost tax
revenues.
According to a member of the 22-seat subcommittee on fiscal reform, the National
Agenda, to be submitted to His Majesty King Abdullah on Sunday, will also
recommend a flat corporate tax rate for all sectors.
“We tried to find a formula to improve tax revenues and generate enough proceeds
to help reduce the budget deficit by broadening the tax base without increasing
the tax burden,” Mufleh Akel, CEO at the Association of Banks in Jordan, told
The Jordan Times.
The current law stipulates a five per cent income tax on the first JD2,000 of
yearly income, a 10 per cent rate on the next JD4,000, 20 per cent on the next
JD8,000, and 25 per cent on each dinar thereafter.
Income Tax Law No. 25 of 2001 also includes a long list of “personal, family,
dependants and university exemptions”: A JD1,000 personal exemption for every
natural resident person, a JD1,000 exemption for spouses, a JD500 exemption for
each child or other dependent, a JD2,000 exemption for each child or dependant
attending college or university.
Public sector employees are taxed on 50 per cent of their salaries, allowances
and bonuses. Private sector employees are taxed on 50 per cent of their first
JD12,000 yearly income, and on 25 per cent of any amount above that.
Rent up to JD2,000 a year, housing loan interest, medical expenses up to
JD10,000 inside the country and up to JD15,000 abroad, medical and life
insurance premiums are all tax deductible.
The National Agenda proposes to scrap most of these exemptions and deductions.
The first JD8,000 of yearly income would not be taxed at all, and income tax
rates would be 10 and 20 per cent, Akel said, declining to specify to which
brackets they will apply.
“From a practical point of view, nothing will change for limited income
brackets, as most salaries fall within the JD8,000 category and will therefore
be completely tax exempt,” commented Akel.
Nonetheless, he added, within the National Agenda subcommittee for fiscal reform
“strong support” emerged for maintaining some sort of education exemptions.
As for corporate tax, the National Agenda will recommend to do away with the
current system, under which hotels, industries, hospitals, transport companies
and contractors pay a 15 per cent tax, banks pay a 35 per cent tax, while
insurance, telecom, service and commercial companies pay a 25 per cent tax.
“The opinion that developed from the discussions within the subcommittee was to
apply a flat rate to all,” Akel reported.
Though the text of the National Agenda to be unveiled next week does not specify
what this flat rate would be, Akel told The Jordan Times the subcommittee
referred to both the Lebanese and Egyptian models, with a 10 and 20 per cent
flat corporate tax, respectively.
The subcommittee's consensus on abolishing most deductions and exemptions seems
in line with the trend prevailing amongst mainstream economists.
Earlier this month, economist Fahed Fanek asked: “Why should life insurance
premiums be tax-exempt while they represent savings? Why should a taxpayer
receive tax exemption on each child?” He sarcastically offered: “Is it because
population growth is too low?”
According to Akel, the National Agenda will recommend the abolition of
exemptions and deductibles in return for lower tax rates across the board, which
would entail a better investment climate, lower tax evasion and higher proceeds.
“This reform would reduce the tax burden, thus increasing tax proceeds,” he
said, adding that the National Agenda will also propose tougher penalties for
tax evasion and a more stringent inspection system.
Total tax revenues account for three per cent of the gross domestic product,
against an average of 11 per cent in developed countries.
Though still low, income tax revenues witnessed a surge in 2004. According to
the Ministry of Finance, income tax revenues grew from JD195 million in 2003 to
JD218 million last year. Of these, corporate tax totalled JD147 million, while
individual and employees' tax revenues were JD39.3 million and JD25.6 million,
respectively, and social services provided JD6 million in tax proceeds.
The Department of Income and General Sales Tax has placed the evasion rate at 15
per cent, accounting for some JD30 million in lost revenues.
The lion's share in the JD1.4 billion total tax revenues is represented by the
General Sales Tax, which in 2004 earned the Treasury JD827 million.