Doing Business in Cyprus
Cyprus has long established itself as a thriving business hub, with a vast array of investment opportunities in key growth sectors of the economy. The island’s ideal strategic location, advanced infrastructure and high quality of life do not only represent key reasons to relocate and live on the island, but are also at the heart of an investor’s choice to invest in Cyprus. The island is an ideal investment gateway to the European Union, as well as a portal for investment outside the EU, particularly into the Middle East, India and China. As a member of the wider EU and Eurozone community, Cyprus ensures safety and stability for investors, while also offering them market access to more than 500 million EU citizens. The local infrastructure is ideally suited for business people who need to get things done. Thanks to its modern road network, extensive port facilities and two new international airports, travel and transport in and beyond Cyprus is fast, efficient and cost-effective. Human talent constitutes Cyprus’ most compelling advantage, complemented by a broad range of high quality professional services. As a dynamic business centre, Cyprus offers an abundance of highly educated and skilled individuals, multilingual in their majority, ready to serve the needs of any business. Cyprus, indeed, has all the right ingredients to maintain a strong and resilient economy, due to its small size, productive labor force, business friendly and flexible government. Our country’s competitive advantages are significantly enriched by a robust and transparent legal and regulatory framework and an attractive tax regime, which offers a wide range of incentives and advantages both for legal and natural persons. Cyprus’ legal system, based on English Common Law principles, is widely recognised as a business-friendly and effective system that ensures transparency and reliability in business practices. Offering foreign businesses a familiar and reliable framework within which to operate, Cyprus’ legal system is also fully compliant with the EU, the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF), OECD, FATCA, the Financial Stability Forum laws and regulations and EU AML directives. Moreover, Cyprus offers an attractive and transparent tax regime, fully compliant with EU, OECD and international laws and regulations. Providing access to an extensive network of more than 60 Double Tax Treaties, and maintaining a corporate tax rate of 12.5%, one of the lowest in the EU, Cyprus offers international investors and domestic businesses confidence to invest, grow and prosper.
Attractive Tax System
Cyprus has a simple and transparent tax system with one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the EU and multiple exemptions for both corporates and individuals. The main characteristics of the Cyprus tax system are outlined below:
- Low corporate income tax rate of 12.5%
- EU & OECD Compliant
- Access to EU directives (e.g. Parent-Subsidiary)
- Extensive double tax treaty network with over 60 countries
- Dividend participation exemption (subject to conditions)
- Exemption from tax on gains from the disposal of securities (e.g. shares, bonds)
- Notional interest deduction on equity applies to all taxpayers and all business activities
- No withholding taxes on interest and dividends
- No taxation of capital gains (except for disposal of real estate in Cyprus or shares of company holding real estate in Cyprus)
- No succession taxes
- No Controlled Foreign Company (CFC) rules
- Tax neutrality on foreign exchange differences unless they arise from trading in currencies or currency derivatives
- Foreign tax relief on income subject to both Cypriot and overseas tax
- Exemption on profits of foreign permanent establishments (subject toc conditions)
- Company reorganisation rules based on the EU Mergers Directive allow for tax-neutral group restructuring
- Attractive Intellectual Property regime in line with “modified nexus approach” (OECD Action 5)
- No exit tax rules
- 50% exemption on employment income exceeding €100,000 per annum for non-residents taking up employment in Cyprus
- No tax on dividends, interest and rental income of non-domiciled individuals
