VAT liabilities on paid-for content and related promotions
Egypt has extended the Value Added Tax charging and collection obligations to creators of online content. This includes participants on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and well as SubStack, and similar paid-for blogging sites
The current VAT rate in Egypt is 14%. Egypt VAT on digital services was introduced in September 2016.
Any provider will only be included if they exceed the annual VAT registration threshold of EGP 500,000 (approx. €27,400 or $31,800).
Putting together Egyptian or global VAT or GST returns is complex, time consuming and fraught with tax liability risks. VAT Calc’s single platform VAT Filer can accurately complete any country filings with verified transactional data from our VAT Calculator or VAT Auditor integrated tools.
Ministry of Finance aims to expand revenues
A public statement made on at the time of the confirmation said:
Ministry of Finance is exerting every effort to achieve tax justice by listing the tax community more accurately, especially the transactions that take place through electronic platforms, to include the informal economy in the official system and seize the rights of the state’s public treasury.
Africa & Middle East VAT on digital services
| Comments (click for details) | Rate | Date | Threshold | Comments |
| Algeria | 9% | Jan 2020 | Nil | |
| Angola | 14% | Oct 2019 | – | |
| Bahrain | 10% | Jan 2019 | Nil | |
| Benin | 18% | Oct 2023 | TBC | |
| Cameroon | 19.5% | Jan 2020 | XAF 50 million | |
| Egypt | 14% | Sep 2016 | EGP 500,000 | |
| Ghana | 12.5% | Apr 2022 | GHS 200,000 | |
| Israel | 17% | TBC | – | Proposals withdrawn |
| Ivory Coast | 18% | 2022 | - | |
| Kenya | 16% | Sep 2013 | - | Registration threshold removed 2023 |
| Kuwait | 5% | Jan 2024? | - | TBC |
| Mauritius | 15% | 2020 | ||
| Nigeria | 7.5% | Jan 2020 | $25,000 | |
| Oman | 5% | Apr 2021 | OMR 35,000 | |
| Rwanda | 18% | TBC | ||
| Saudi Arabia | 15% | Jan 2018 | Nil | |
| Senegal | 18% | Jan 2023 | Nil | Fiscal representative required |
| South Africa | 15% | Jun 2014 | ZAR 1 million | |
| Tanzania | 18% | Jul 2022 | Nil | Residents since Jul 2015 |
| Tunisia | 19% | Jan 2020 | Nil | Withholding VAT; 3% Royalty Tax |
| Uganda | 18% | Jan 2020 | UGX 150m | |
| United Arab Emirates | 5% | Jan 2018 | AED 375,000 | |
| Zimbabwe | 14.5% | Jan 2020 | Nil |
