The Minimum flat rate tax (IMF), a tax in Côte d'Ivoire, is suspended on a "transitional" basis, hearing the "comments" of the scope, according to the 2020 tax annex presented Tuesday at the headquarters of the Patronat Ivorian, in Abidjan.

The IMF, strongly contested by local companies who find this tax "anti-economic", should be "paid when you have an insufficient result" or negative, said Annick Kopoin, tax expert at Mondon Conseil international.

Mrs. Annick Kopoin spoke about the implication of this tax provision, during a presentation of the tax schedule on the State budget for the 2020 financial year, at the headquarters of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d'Ivoire (Cgeci, Employers).

Mr. Elvis Béné Kobenan, Head of the Tax Reforms Department at the General Directorate of Taxation, indicated that for this "transitional" measure there are studies that are underway to see the direction that we will give to this tax. 'it should be deleted' or not.

He pointed out that a "commentary" of this tax law should be taken shortly by the Ivorian authorities in order to specify the areas of application of the flat-rate minimum tax, which could be paid by companies whose profits can support this tax burden.

This measure displeases the Federation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of Côte d'Ivoire, which deplores the fact that the flat-rate minimum tax, suspended in the course of 2019 by the Ministry of Budget and State Portfolio, has not been abolished. as required in their comments.

The amount of the IMF, instituted in 1969 with a uniform cost fixed at 330,000 CFA francs, underwent several changes and a reform in 1994 which raised the minimum collection to 2 million CFA francs and instituted a maximum collection of 30 million CFA francs. , calculated on turnover.

The tax schedule of 2012 on the State budget for the year 2013 raised the minimum collection from 2 million to 3 million CFA francs and the maximum collection from 30 million to 35 million CFA francs, indicates the history of the MFI.

According to Mrs. Annick Kopoin "the Tax Reform Commission had proposed the abolition of the IMF but the legislator opted for a temporary suspension until December 31, 2020". As a result, companies with a loss result in 2019 will not be sought for payment of this tax.

The transitional measure is a time that the State of Côte d'Ivoire gives itself to assess the effects first before moving towards a total abolition of the minimum flat rate tax (IMF) in the Ivorian tax system.