Breakdown of main levies and fees in Cote d'Ivoire's tax regime

All profits made by natural or legal persons while performing commercial, industrial or agricultural activities are subject to a tax rate of 25%. Professional profits generally, tasks and functions for which policyholders do not have a commercial capacity, and profits from all activities and sources that do not fall under any other revenue category are subject to a 25% tax. There is a contractual minimum tax on annual turnover, including all taxes paid by the aforementioned persons when their profits are null or if the profit tax is inferior to the contractual minimum tax. The rate is 0.5% for turnover of CFA300,000-35m (€450-52,500).

Other Contributions

The previous year’s turnover, before taxes, is the basis for determining taxable turnover, as well as the rental value of a professional property. The rental value includes rent of taxable assets or the gross value as displayed in the statement, to which the following rates are applied:

• 0.5% for CFA300,000-3m (€450-4500); and

• 18.5% of rental value. The income tax on industrial and commercial, or non-commercial, profits of foreign providers is 20%, with conditional approval of fiscal conventions, on the gross sum. Some local providers are subject to a flat tax rate of 7.5% on the gross sum.

Property Income

The rental value of all proprieties built that generate revenues, including greenfield sites for industrial or commercial use and boats used as housing, are subject to tax. The rental value is the price that the owner receives when renting it to a third party, or could receive, if he or she is living in it. The rate is 4% for companies and 3% for individuals. For built property, the tax is same as the tax on property income under common law (11%); 9% for individuals; and 15% for households for which the property has an effect on its activities. For non-built property in urban areas the rate is 1.5% of the market value as of January 1 of the year in question, and in rural areas the tax is based on 2500-7500 ha for taxable plantations.

Other Income & Revenue

Income derived from investments or securities is subject to tax, as are revenues distributed by companies, no matter their legal identity, as long as they are not incorporated to a company’s reserves or capital. Bond products are taxed at 15%. The 18% tax on revenues from receivables is based on the gross amount of interest fees on current accounts or deposit account products of sums due or paid, with the exemption of all operations of commercial credit not having the legal status of a loan.

Vat

Value-added tax (VAT) is levied on taxable turnover, specifically the sales amount before taxes, services furnished or rendered by the persons subject, as well as additional fees incurred by the buyer or holder, with the exception of VAT itself and all exempted activities. The rates are 9-18% for petrol-based products, pasta products, milk and solar-energy producing materials. The 0.1% special equipment tax covers the turnover of persons belonging to a flat-rate regime. This turnover corresponds to that subject to VAT, but also includes the sums exempted from it and all export operations. A 10% tax on banking operations is based on the amount, before taxes, of all sums received as remuneration from banking and financial services, and generally all those assimilated to the management of value or monies, with the exception of leasing operations or money transfer. The rate is 5% for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Wages & Salaries

A 20% flat-rate deduction is applicable for employees on the gross amount of staff salaries, allowances, indemnities, pensions, gratifications and extra hours worked, as well as all advantages in monies or in-kind received by an employee for work performed in Côte d’Ivoire. The rates are 1.5% for salaries; 0-10% for national contributions; and 0.09-37.5% for general income tax. The 20% flat-rate reduction is available for employers on an identical basis, but additionally includes 2.8% for the local workforce and 12% for any expatriate personnel of the company.