Rasha Abdel Aal, Head of the Egyptian Tax Authority (ETA), has affirmed that the Ministry of Finance continues to provide guidance and oversight to reinforce the Authority’s relationship with the business community. She stressed the ETA’s commitment to listening to diverse viewpoints, studying partner needs, and working transparently under a partnership principle to address challenges.
Abdel Aal noted that the state’s tax relief measures aim to ease burdens on taxpayers, promote voluntary compliance, integrate the informal economy, and ensure tax fairness. She urged taxpayers to submit applications under Laws 5, 6, and 7 of 2025 before the 12 August deadline to benefit from incentives, settle their tax positions, and avoid legal penalties.
Mohsen El Gayyar, Head of the Integrated Communications Centre, explained that Law 7 of 2025—amending provisions of the Unified Tax Procedures Law—caps late-payment fines and additional tax at 100% of the original amount, regardless of the tax period. It also permits reconciliation of procedural violations without tax liabilities, such as late zero-filing returns.
El Gayyar added that the ETA has launched a support unit and advance ruling unit to provide consultations and feasibility studies with transparency, as well as a 24/7 grievance unit to handle complaints. The Authority has also published sector-specific guidance for tax officers and investor guides outlining rights, obligations, incentives, and facilities under the new laws, available on its official website.
Wael El-Sayed, Director-General of Income Tax Research, explained that Law 5 of 2025 waives penalties for filing or amending returns for 2020–2024. It also allows settlement of estimated assessments for pre-2020 periods by paying a percentage of tax for estimated cases, while audited cases require payment of the principal tax only—waiving all delay fines and additional taxes beyond that.
The Food Industries Chamber at the Egyptian Federation of Industries welcomed the meeting with the ETA, calling it timely for understanding recent legislative changes. Executive Director Maissa Hamza, speaking on behalf of Chamber President Ashraf El-Ghazairly, said that open communication between authorities and industry is key to building a stable business environment. She added that the tax relief measures mark a serious step toward creating a clearer, fairer legislative framework that supports investment and growth.
