Syria Finance Minister Details SYP 64 Million Annual Tax Exemption

Syria's Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Bernia said on 18 April 2026 that annual income of up to 64 million old Syrian pounds (SYP) is exempt from income tax, clarifying details of the country's reformed tax framework in comments reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and the business . The exemption combines a 50-million SYP base threshold with a six-million family-support allowance and an eight-million living-expense deduction, Bernia told SANA. He said the ceiling covers most government employees and wage earners, and that low-income citizens are fully exempt and also receive social-protection programs. ## New tax system reduces corporate rates The government has cut the headline tax on corporate profits from 28 percent to under 15 percent. Bernia said the broader reform rests on two pillars: social justice for low earners and incentives for investment, industry and agriculture. The minister also said that Syria is transitioning from a complex consumption-expenditure levy to a simpler sales tax. He said essential food and medicines are fully exempt, and roughly 9,300 goods and services are shielded from the new sales-tax regime. Owners of industrial, tourism and commercial facilities damaged during the conflict will receive targeted exemptions to support their reopening. ## Pursuing high earners outside the net Bernia said some high-income professionals had long escaped the system, a group he described as "tax-haven wealthy," and warned that this would no longer be tolerated. He said compliant business owners will be rewarded, while evaders will face penalties. He also noted that Syria's tax burden, after the recent cuts, is among the lowest in the region, even as the state works to expand revenues for infrastructure and services. The statements follow a week of Finance Ministry activity, including the signing in Washington of a banking-sector assessment deal with international partners, as Damascus courts multilateral engagement with the IMF and the OPEC Fund on technical support.