Iraq's Finance Ministry, Financial Audit Office agree to speed up tax collection

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Ministry of Finance has reached an agreement with the Federal Financial Audit Office to accelerate tax collection and raise non-oil public revenues, the ministry said in a written statement. Under the arrangement, the General Tax Administration will be able to collect taxes from audited institutions without waiting for the audit office to complete its final review, once those entities submit their financial data. The agreement covers entities under the audit office's purview, including mixed-sector companies, private universities and institutes that have delayed tax payments. A copy of the financial data will be forwarded to the audit office to support its oversight work. The ministry said institutions that delay or refuse to submit their accounts will face legal action under the Income Tax Law and the legislation governing the collection of public debts. According to the ministry, the new arrangement is designed to clear backlogged tax files, strengthen non-oil revenues and ensure fairness among taxpayers. The Finance Ministry did not provide a timeline for implementation or estimates of the amounts to be collected. No further details were immediately available.