Ministry of Finance and IMF Mission Discuss Development of Tax Legislation

Finance Minister Yasser Burhani held talks with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission specializing in tax policies at the conclusion of its visit to Syria, discussing draft tax laws currently being prepared and developed in line with the requirements of the current stage and economic reform priorities.

The Ministry of Finance stated in a post on its Telegram channel, published by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) yesterday, that the mission held a series of meetings with the ministry’s working team and the Tax Reform Committee. During these meetings, new draft tax laws were reviewed, their legislative structure and implementation mechanisms discussed, and technical observations provided on the legal texts. The mission also presented detailed briefings on international best practices in the fields of income tax, value-added tax (VAT), and indirect taxes.

The ministry noted that the mission expressed appreciation for the steps Syria has taken in updating its tax system, stating that the draft laws reflect a serious commitment to aligning with international standards, and commended the efforts made by the working team.

It further indicated that the mission offered some proposals to complete the legislative and executive aspects, reaffirming its readiness to continue providing technical support in subsequent stages of preparing executive regulations.

During the meetings, the Finance Minister emphasized that the new tax system was prepared according to Syria’s priorities to support economic recovery, aiming to achieve important economic objectives to stimulate the economy, encourage the private sector, and alleviate the tax burden on low-income individuals. He highlighted the commitment to benefiting from international experiences and institutions to serve these goals.