Tax Advisory in Morocco

AAFIR AUDIT & CONSULTING MOROCCO (A2CM) is a Tangier-based chartered accountancy firm providing tax advisory services to Moroccan companies, subsidiaries of foreign groups and international investors. The firm is led by Otman AAFIR, a chartered accountant registered with the Moroccan Order of Chartered Accountants (Ordre des Experts-Comptables) and qualified in France.

Talk to us about your situation: +212 5 39 37 26 51 — we reply within 48 hours with a written proposal.

Tax advisory for foreign companies operating in Morocco

Setting up or running a business in Morocco raises questions that go well beyond filing returns: which legal form to choose, how to structure intra-group flows, which incentive regimes apply to your activity, how to repatriate profits, and how to document your transfer pricing policy. We advise on all of these, in English and in French, and we speak directly with your group finance department and your auditors abroad.

Our client base includes European industrial groups operating in the Tangier region, service companies in offshoring and outsourcing, and investors setting up their first Moroccan entity.

Our tax services

Corporate income tax compliance

Preparation and filing of corporate income tax returns, quarterly instalments, the annual tax package (liasse fiscale), and reconciliation between statutory accounts prepared under the Moroccan accounting standards (CGNC) and the group reporting package. Morocco’s corporate income tax rates have been following a multi-year convergence schedule introduced by recent Finance Acts — we assess the rate actually applicable to your company and its effect on your instalments.

VAT and withholding taxes

VAT registration, monthly or quarterly returns, refund claims, and analysis of the VAT treatment of cross-border services. The standard VAT rate in Morocco is 20%, with reduced rates applying to specific goods and services. We also handle withholding tax obligations, including withholding on payments to non-resident service providers and on certain domestic transactions introduced by recent legislation.

Inbound investment structuring

Choosing between a subsidiary, a branch and a representative office; assessing the tax cost of each option; reviewing the application of Morocco’s double tax treaty network to dividends, interest and royalties; and planning profit repatriation in coordination with foreign exchange requirements.

Transfer pricing

Preparation of transfer pricing documentation for companies falling within the reporting thresholds, benchmarking of intra-group transactions, review of management fee and cost-sharing arrangements, and support during documentation requests from the tax administration.

Tax audits and disputes

Assistance throughout a tax audit: review of the audit notice, preparation of responses, attendance at meetings with the inspector, and representation before the local and national tax commissions where a settlement cannot be reached.

Fiscal representation for non-resident companies

Non-resident entities carrying out taxable operations in Morocco may be required to appoint a locally established fiscal representative. We act in that capacity, handling registration, filings and correspondence with the Moroccan tax administration on your behalf.

Industrial Acceleration Zones and offshoring incentives

Companies established in an Industrial Acceleration Zone — including the zones around Tangier Med — benefit from a specific tax regime combining a temporary exemption with a reduced rate thereafter, together with customs and foreign exchange facilities. Service companies engaged in outsourcing and offshoring activities may qualify for a five-year total exemption from corporate income tax under article 6-II-B-4° of the Moroccan General Tax Code.

Eligibility depends on the nature of the activity and on where the service is delivered. We review your business model against the conditions before you commit to a location or a legal structure.

Cross-border operations and foreign exchange

Payments abroad, capital contributions, shareholder loans and profit repatriation are subject to the rules of the Office des Changes. Tax planning that ignores these rules rarely survives contact with the bank. We handle both dimensions together, so that the structure you adopt is workable in practice.

Why work with A2CM

• Registered with the Order. Only a chartered accountant registered with the Moroccan Order may certify accounts and provide regulated services. You benefit from professional indemnity cover and professional secrecy.
• Dual French-Moroccan background. Otman AAFIR qualified as a chartered accountant in France. We work in English and French and are used to group reporting deadlines.
• Based in Tangier, the northern industrial hub. Free zones, automotive and textile manufacturing, port logistics and offshoring — we work with these sectors daily.
• One firm for the whole engagement. Tax, accounting, corporate law and payroll handled together, with a single point of contact.

Frequently asked questions

Do you work with subsidiaries of foreign groups?

Yes — it is a substantial part of our practice. We produce statutory accounts under Moroccan standards for local filing purposes and, in parallel, the IFRS or US GAAP reporting package required by the parent company.

Can you act as our fiscal representative in Morocco?

Yes. We act as fiscal representative for non-resident companies with taxable operations in Morocco, covering registration, periodic filings and correspondence with the tax administration.

What are your fees?

Fees depend on the scope of the engagement, transaction volume and reporting frequency. We issue a written engagement letter setting out the scope and fees before any work begins. Request a proposal.

Do you also provide statutory audit services?

Yes, through a separate engagement — see our statutory audit page. Independence rules prevent the same firm from both preparing and certifying the same set of accounts.

Contact our tax advisors in Morocco

AAFIR AUDIT & CONSULTING MOROCCO
Avenue de Fès, angle Ibn Toufail, Résidence Diamond, 1st floor, office 3 — Tangier 90000, Morocco
Phone: +212 5 39 37 26 51 · +212 6 61 47 35 42
Email: info@aafir.ma
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm