Less than 24 hours after the announcement of the agreement between the government and lawyers on the new tax provisions of the Finance Act 2023, Faouzi Lekjaa, appeared before the Finance Committee at the House of Councillors, to explain the specifics of this compromise that puts an end to the strike of black robes.
According to the minister, the number of lawyers registered with the tax authorities is 8837, while the number of lawyers in Morocco is about 16,000. He also said that the number of lawyers who declare their income to the competent authorities does not exceed 6,600 professionals, knowing that the number of those who pay tax is 5788 people.
Lekjaa stressed that the taxes paid by 90% of lawyers do not exceed 10,000 dirhams per year, while the total contribution of lawyers to the tax is 111 million dirhams per year.
Returning to the agreement reached with ABAM, the Minister said that it was decided to reduce the amount provided in PLF, as approved by the House of Representatives, from 300 to 100 dirhams according to the optional method. The agreement also provides for the exemption of new lawyers enrolled in the tables of bars in Morocco from the payment of tax for a period of five years from the date of registration.
This is to exclude and expand the scope of social cases exempted from payment of the advance on account. And finally, the rate of withholding tax is reduced to 10% instead of 15% for individual lawyers and to 5% instead of 10% for professional law firms.
The results of the agreement with the lawyers will be materialized by the introduction of amendments to the PLF submitted now to the advisers said Lekjaa, stressing that the debate with the lawyers continues in the framework of the reform of the profession.
Be the first to comment