Country & TaxFree referencePDF, Excel, Word exportAfrica and Middle East

Africa and Middle East VAT Rates Reference for ERP Tax Setup

When an African or Gulf manufacturer sets up an ERP, the first tax question is usually the standard rate, the currency and the authority behind the e-invoicing rules. This table puts those in one searchable list.

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Country	Currency	ISO code	Tax authority	Standard VAT rate	Setup note
South Africa	Rand	ZAR	SARS	15%	Zero-rated and exempt supplies need separate tax codes
Nigeria	Naira	NGN	Nigeria Revenue Service (formerly FIRS)	7.5%	Several basic goods are exempt, confirm per item
Kenya	Shilling	KES	KRA	16%	Invoices go through the eTIMS system
Egypt	Pound	EGP	Egyptian Tax Authority	14%	E-invoicing is mandatory for registered taxpayers
Ghana	Cedi	GHS	GRA	15%	Additional levies may apply, confirm current structure
Tanzania	Shilling	TZS	TRA	18%	EFD receipts required for most sales
Uganda	Shilling	UGX	URA	18%	EFRIS e-invoicing system applies
Zambia	Kwacha	ZMW	ZRA	16%	Smart Invoice system applies
Zimbabwe	ZiG	ZWG	ZIMRA	15%	Multi-currency pricing is common, confirm invoice currency rules
Botswana	Pula	BWP	BURS	14%	Rate was raised to 14 percent in 2022
Namibia	Dollar	NAD	NamRA	15%	Pegged to the rand, rand also accepted
Mozambique	Metical	MZN	Autoridade Tributaria	16%	Invoice software certification rules apply
Rwanda	Franc	RWF	RRA	18%	EBM receipts required
Morocco	Dirham	MAD	DGI	20%	Reduced rates of 7, 10 and 14 percent exist for listed items
Algeria	Dinar	DZD	DGI	19%	Reduced rate of 9 percent exists for listed items
Tunisia	Dinar	TND	DGI	19%	Reduced rates of 7 and 13 percent exist
Senegal	CFA franc	XOF	DGID	18%	Chart of accounts follows SYSCOHADA
Cote d'Ivoire	CFA franc	XOF	DGI	18%	Chart of accounts follows SYSCOHADA
Saudi Arabia	Riyal	SAR	ZATCA	15%	Fatoora e-invoicing is phased by taxpayer group
United Arab Emirates	Dirham	AED	FTA	5%	Tax invoice and credit note content rules apply
Bahrain	Dinar	BHD	NBR	10%	Three decimal places in the currency
Oman	Rial	OMR	Oman Tax Authority	5%	Three decimal places in the currency

Rates are standard rates for general guidance and change with budgets and finance acts. Confirm with the local tax authority or your adviser before configuring tax codes in production.

Tax code design review

Optional: have an expert review your multi-country tax code layout before go-live.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use the table

Type a country, currency code or authority name into the search box to filter the list. Use the rate column as the starting point for your standard tax code, then add separate codes for zero-rated, exempt, reduced-rate and out-of-scope transactions. Export to Excel to share with your implementation team or to load as a checklist during tax code workshops.

Search by ISO currency code to find shared currencies such as XOF
Use the setup note as a reminder of local invoicing rules
Export to Excel for your tax code design document

Why the standard rate is only the start

Every ERP needs more than one tax code per country. A typical South African manufacturer needs standard rate, zero-rated exports, exempt items, imported services and capital goods codes. Reduced rates in North Africa add more. Map each code to the right general ledger account for input and output tax so the VAT return reconciles to the ledger.

E-invoicing and fiscal devices

Many countries in this list require invoices to be reported or cleared through a government system. Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Egypt and Saudi Arabia all have regimes that go beyond printing an invoice from the ERP. Check early whether your ERP version has a certified localization or whether you need a middleware connector, because this can decide the go-live date.

Common mistakes

Teams often copy one country's tax setup to another, forget that currencies like XOF are shared across countries, or hard code a rate that later changes. Keep the rate on a tax code with an effective date, not inside pricing logic or reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these rates current?

They are standard rates at the time of writing and are meant as a starting point. Governments change rates and levies through budgets and finance acts, so always confirm with the local tax authority or your adviser before configuring a production tax code.

Why is Qatar or Kuwait not listed?

Neither country levies a general VAT at the time of writing, so there is no standard rate to list. If that changes, your ERP will need new tax codes, which is another reason to keep rates on effective-dated tax code records.

Does this replace a localization module?

No. A localization module supplies the chart of accounts, tax reports and e-invoicing formats for a country. This table only helps you plan the tax code design and check your numbers before and after configuring that module.

Can I use it for pricing quotes?

Yes for a quick check, but quote systems should read the rate from the ERP tax code so the quote, invoice and return agree. Treat this table as a reference, not as a source of truth for live transactions.

If you run several African or Gulf entities on one ERP, Netray can help you review tax code design and wire up reporting over the data privately.

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