Baghdad: Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani directed relevant authorities to address tax-related obstacles facing the private sector until the approval of the General Budget Law.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Al-Sudani chaired, on Wednesday, a meeting of the Supreme Committee for Tax Reform, attended by the Director General of the General Commission for Taxes, senior officials of the commission, and a number of the Prime Minister’s economic and financial advisors.

The statement noted that the meeting discussed mechanisms for unifying tax assessment procedures and reviewed the main challenges faced by companies in the tax sector. It also included an in-depth discussion of the Tax Assessment Law, which forms part of the government’s tax reform program.

The meeting further addressed the issue of unifying tax procedures between the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the Federal Ministry of Finance, as well as the problem of domestic double taxation, and explored legal and procedural solutions to resolve these issues.

Participants also examined the file of tax evasion, presenting legal proposals to tackle the problem in a manner that encourages companies and investors to regularize their financial and legal status. Additionally, the meeting reviewed proposed legal solutions to the tax challenges confronting the private sector.

Prime Minister Al-Sudani emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing this vital issue within an integrated program aimed at maximizing non-oil revenues. He instructed that a draft decision be prepared and submitted to the Council of Ministers to remove tax obstacles facing the private sector and Iraqi companies until the approval of the 2026 General Budget Law.

He also directed the formation of a joint committee from the Ministry of Finance and the General Commission for Taxes to engage with the Tax Authority in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with the aim of reaching advanced stages in unifying tax procedures.