2022-2023 Cyprus Country Report
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CYPRUSCOUNTRY REPORT <strong>2022</strong><br />
SPECIAL TYPES OF COMPANIES<br />
SHIPPING COMPANIES<br />
The Merchant Shipping Legislation, fully approved by the EU, provides for an exemption<br />
from all direct taxes and taxation under tonnage tax regime. The merchant shipping<br />
legislation applies to qualifying shipowners, charterers and ship managers, which<br />
are involved with the operation of qualifying community ships (ships under a CY flag<br />
or a flag of an EU member state or of a country in the European Economic Area) and<br />
foreign (non-community) ships (under conditions) and provided that they engage in<br />
qualifying activities. The legislation allows non community vessels to enter the tonnage<br />
tax regime provided the fleet is composed by at least 60% community vessels. If this<br />
requirement is not met, then non community vessels can still qualify if certain criteria<br />
are met. Exemption is also given in relation to the salaries of officers and crew aboard<br />
a <strong>Cyprus</strong> ship.<br />
INSURANCE COMPANIES<br />
Profits of insurance companies are liable to corporation tax similar to all other<br />
companies except in the case where the corporation tax payable on taxable profit of life<br />
insurance business is less than 1.5% of the gross premium. In this case the difference is<br />
paid as additional corporation tax.<br />
ADMINISTRATION AND COMPLIANCE<br />
The tax year is the calendar year. The accounts of a company may be closed on a date<br />
different from 31 st of December, in which case taxable profits are apportioned on a time<br />
basis relevant to the tax years.<br />
CONSOLIDATED RETURNS<br />
Taxation on a consolidated basis is not permitted and each company is required to<br />
submit a separate standalone tax return. A set-off of group losses is possible provided<br />
there is a 75% parent subsidiary relationship, including subsidiaries under 75% control<br />
of a common parent company. Group loss relief is available only between resident<br />
companies (and EU-based companies/companies with which <strong>Cyprus</strong> has concluded a<br />
double tax treaty, provided that they have exhausted all options to utilise the losses in<br />
their country of residence).<br />
FILING REQUIREMENTS<br />
Corporate tax returns must be filed electronically by the 31 st of March of the year following<br />
the year under consideration (i.e. 15 months from the year-end). Companies are required<br />
to pay provisional tax in two equal instalments by 31 st of July and 31 st of December of the<br />
year under consideration. Any underpayment is due to be settled via self-assessment by<br />
1 st of August of the following year. If the income declared for the payment of the provisional<br />
tax is lower than 75% of the actual income as finally determined, an additional tax equal<br />
to 10% of the difference between the final and provisional tax is payable.<br />
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