Egypt offers low-cost financing to SMEs joining simplified tax system

Ahram Online , Sunday 22 Mar 2026

Egypt will provide concessional financing to the first 100,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that join its simplified tax system, Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk said on Sunday, as part of efforts to bring more businesses into the formal economy.

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Finance Minister Ahmed Kouchouk Photo courtesy of Egypt's Finance Ministry.

 

Kouchouk said the measure is part of a broader package of tax incentives aimed at encouraging compliance and supporting business growth. The package includes 33 legislative and executive measures offering exemptions, incentives, and procedural simplifications for taxpayers who join the system.

He said the financing initiative is designed to attract new entrants and support expansion among smaller businesses.

The government will also extend the tax dispute settlement law until 31 December in a move aimed at easing pressure on taxpayers. Authorities plan to introduce a “white list” and a “distinction card” to give compliant taxpayers faster access to services and additional benefits.

Further measures include restructuring value-added tax (VAT) refund departments to speed up payouts and improve liquidity, with immediate refunds targeted for businesses on the “white list”. Kouchouk said EGP 7.2 billion ($139.1 million) in VAT refunds were disbursed in the last fiscal year, a 151 percent increase.

The package also includes changes to eliminate double taxation on dividend distributions between parent and subsidiary companies, simplify the write-off of small debts, and expand premium tax service centres in New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed, and New Alamein.

Additional reforms include shifting taxation on listed securities from capital gains to stamp duty to encourage trading on the Egyptian Exchange, launching an electronic advisory platform for taxpayers, and introducing faster digital procedures for company liquidation and closure.

Kouchouk said the measures are intended to boost voluntary compliance and support economic growth.

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