CORPORATION TAX

CORPORATION TAX

TAX RESIDENCY AND LIABILITY

A company is tax resident in Cyprus if it is managed and controlled in Cyprus. Several factors should be considered to establish where the management and control of a company is exercised. Such factors are:

  • the makeup and the residence of the Board of Directors
  • the place where major decisions are taken
  • the place where the major contracts are signed
  • the place where the books and records are maintained and the accounting function is operated

Cyprus tax resident companies are taxed on their worldwide taxable income and they enjoy the wide network of Double Tax Treaties (DTT) of Cyprus as well as all European Tax Directives.

Non–tax resident companies are taxed on taxable income derived from a business activity which is carried out through a permanent establishment in Cyprus and on certain income arising in Cyprus (double tax treaties and double taxation relief exist).

TAX RATES

Flat rate* 12,5%

*The tax rate has been increased to 12.5% from 01/01/2013. From 01/01/2008 until 31/12/2012 the tax rate was 10%.

EXEMPTIONS

Interest Income (not arising from the ordinary activities or closely related to them) 100%
Dividends (excluding from 01/01/2016 dividends which are tax deductible for the paying company) 100%
Profits from disposal of shares and other securities 100%
Profits from permanent establishment abroad under certain conditions 100%
Gains arising from foreign exchange differences (excluding foreign exchange differences arising from trading in foreign currencies and related activities) 100%

DEDUCTIONS

In general, expenditure incurred wholly and exclusively for the production of taxable income and supported by documentary evidence are deductible for corporation tax purposes.

Specific expenses allowable for deduction:

Employer’s contributions to provident / pension funds for employees10% on employee’s remuneration

Interest expense incurred for the direct or indirect acquisition of 100% of the share capital of a subsidiary company is treated as deductible for income tax purposes provided that the 100% subsidiary company does not own (directly or indirectly) any assets that are not used in the business. (applies from 1/1/2012) 100%_(if the subsidiary company owns (directly or indirectly) assets not used in the business, the interest expense deduction is restricted to the amount that relates to the assets used in the business.
New equity introduced from 01/01/2015 in the form of paid-up share capital or share premium is eligible for annual Notional Interest Deduction (NID). The annual NID is calculated as an interest rate on the new equity. The interest rate for that calculation is the higher of: 1) The yield on 10 year government bonds as at 31 December of the prior tax year, of the country where the funds are employed plus a 3% premium or 2) The yield on 10 year Cyprus government bond as at 31 December of the prior tax year, plus a 3% premium. Up to the 80% of the taxable profit derived from assets financed by new equity.
Expenditure incurred for the acquisition of shares in an innovative business. 100%
Royalty income, embedded income and other qualifying income derived from qualifying intangible assets. 80% of the net profit (Special criteria and conditions exist)
Tax amortization of any expenditure of a capital nature for the acquisition or development of intellectual property (IP) (excluding goodwill) Allocated over the lifetime of the IP (maximum period 20 years)
Donations to approved charities. 100%
Employer’s contributions to social insurance and approved funds. 100%
Employer’s contributions to provident / pension funds for employees 10% on employee’s remuneration
Employer’s contributions to medical funds for employees 1% on employee’s remuneration
Entertainment expenses for business purposes. Lower of €17.086 or 1% of gross income
Expenditure incurred for the maintenance of a building in respect of which there is in force a Preservation Order. Up to €1.200 per square meter, depending on the size of the building
Capital allowances Maximum rates ref. 2.5

Specific expenses disallowable for deduction:

Private motor vehicle/saloon-type motor vehicle expenses. The whole amount
The allocation of the company’s annual interest expense to the cost of acquisition of a private motor vehicle irrespective of its use and to the cost of acquisition of any other asset not used in the business. The allocated amount for 7 years

CAPITAL ALLOWANCES

Fixed Assets Allowance %
Plant and machinery 10 (Note 1)
Furniture and fittings 10
Machinery and tools used in an agricultural business 15
Computer hardware and operating systems 20
Televisions and videos 10
Application software (Expenditure on application software less than €1.709, is written off in the year of acquisition) 33 1/3
Boreholes 10
Commercial motor vehicles and motor cycles 20
Excavators, tractors, bulldozers, self-propelled loaders and drums for petrol companies 25
Tools 33 1/3
Commercial buildings 3
Industrial, agricultural and hotel buildings 4 (Note 2)
Flats 3
Greenhouse structures Wooden / Metallic 3
Greenhouse structures Wooden / Metallic 33 1/3 / 10
Wind power generators 10
Photovoltaic systems 10

Notes:

  1. For acquisitions during the tax years 2012 – 2018 capital allowances can be claimed at the rate of 20% (excluding such assets which are already eligible for a higher annual tax depreciation rate.
  2. For acquisitions during the tax years 2012 – 2018 capital allowances can be claimed at the rate of 7%

LOSSES CARRIED FORWARD

The tax loss incurred during a tax year and which cannot be set off against other income, is carried forward, subject to conditions and set off against the profits of the next five years.

The current year loss of one company can be set off against the profit of another company, subject to conditions, provided the companies are Cyprus tax residents and are both within the same group. (Group is defined as: *One company holding at least 75% of the voting shares of the other company or *Both of the companies are at least 75% (voting shares) held by another third company). As from 1 January 2015 a Cyprus tax resident company may also claim the tax losses of an EU tax resident company, provided both companies are within the same group and the EU tax resident company has exhausted all possibilities available for using its tax losses in its respective country or in the country where its immediate holding company resides.

Losses from a permanent establishment abroad can be set off with profits of the company in Cyprus; however, subsequent profits up to the amount of the loss will be taxable in Cyprus.

A sole trader transferring a business into a company can carry forward tax losses into the company.

REORGANIZATIONS

Under reorganizations (mergers, demergers, partial divisions, transfer of assets e.t.c.), transfers of assets and liabilities between companies can be effected without tax consequences, and losses can be carried forward to the receiving company.

"A combination of tax and non-tax incentives helped Cyprus to be established as an International Business Centre.
Your first option is to relocate your business in Cyprus and use Cyprus for your operations either in Europe or Worldwide. The second general option is to include a Cyprus Company in your structure to get advantage of the tax incentives and its wide network of DDT.
Below, we present the main features of Cyprus Companies with different activities. We will be happy to provide you with our comprehensive advice on tax planning solutions, on request, once we have information about your existing structure, your activities and your needs."