Tunisia is gearing up for an electronic tax filing system

24 January 2008

Tunisia has endeavoured, out of its conviction that a modern tax system is an essential conditions for the setting up of a modern economy integrated in its regional and international environment, to lay down the foundations of a fiscal system likely to meet the targets set by the country in all fields and the expectations of its economic partners.

The electronic tax filing system which touches upon at the present time companies and will cover natural persons as of 2009, is part of this approach aimed at modernising the administration while bringing it closer to citizens who will henceforth be able to discharge their tax duties online.

A regulatory framework was set up to guarantee the effective application of electronic tax filing and facilitate its follow-up.

Actually, article 27 of the finance law for 2001 provides for the possibility to carry out operations related to tax return, payment of taxes and relevant penalties, in addition to the exchange of information and documents intended for tax services through electronic means. The 2005 finance law has come to add a new element by setting up the compulsory nature of electronic filing and electronic payment for companies that have a computerised accounting department and which achieve a turnover equal or exceeding an amount to be set by an order. The same finance law grants another advantage to taxpayers by allowing them to entrust a professional with carrying out the electronic filing.

The turnover subject to compulsory electronic filing was set at 15 million dinars 2005, then to 10 million dinars in 2006 and down to 5 million dinars in December 2007.

Mohamed Ali Ben Malek director general of the tax department at the finance ministry said in a statement to TAP news agency that the number of companies and persons registered in this system reached 813 members prior to the decrease of the concerned turnover to 5 million dinars compared to 192 members when the tax filing was optional.

He pointed out that the web site of electronic tax filing (WWW.impots.finance.gov.tn) provides thorough details on this operation.

North Africa PC market thriving says new report
PC markets in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia showed strong growth in 2007, according to a report from analyst company IDC. Shipments of PCs in the three largest PC markets in the North Africa region, grew to nearly 620,000 in 2007, growth of more than 26%, to create a market worth around $550 million.

The market is dominated by desktops, which account for more than 80% if shipments and two-thirds of revenues, although notebooks, which make up 15% of shipments, are expected to show growth of over 30% in all three countries in the next five years.

Morocco was the overall market leader, accounting for 39% of shipments, due in part because of government support for development of the outsourcing industry. Algeria accounted for 33% and Tunisia 27%.

All of the countries have strong local assembly sectors, although global vendors HP, Fujitsu Siemens, Dell and Acer have the lion's share of the market. Global vendors need to stay focused on these markets however, warned Mehdi Mandre, research analyst, IDC Morocco.

"All the arrows may point up but that doesn't mean the growth curves will be smooth. The North African PC market is hot and, given the opportunities, it is hard to keep reality in focus - overall, grey market machines and refurbished machines are putting a real dent in vendor market share. Handling these issues means having a dedicated presence, an extensive network of connections in each country, and patience," Mandre said.

"While traditional dealers and value-added resellers will continue to be the largest sales channels in the three countries for the foreseeable future, retail will see a great deal of action. There will be a surge in both home and SME usage. Many customers will obtain machines at stores, meaning retail will represent the fastest growing distribution outlet and serve as a primary vehicle for vendors interested in increasing visibility and share in the three markets," he added.

(Source: ITP)

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