Only 2,500 persons in the income tax pool in Cameroon

Speaking on March 12, 2014 before business leaders invited to a dinner-discussion event held by the professional organisation, Gicam, the Director General of Income Taxes (DGI), Modeste Mopa Fatoing, revealed that one of the factors that explains the weak fiscal pressure in Cameroon “is the reduced size of the taxpayer pool” which “is only 2,500 persons.”

Yet, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), Cameroon has approximately 98,000 companies, of which 80% are SMEs. In an effort to get as many companies into the income tax basket, the DGI created SME Income Tax Centres (CIME) that are specially dedicated the relationship between SMEs and the Tax Administration.

Out of the budget of 3.312 trillion FCfa passed in December 2013 by the Cameroonian parliament, 1.24 trillion FCfa will come from income taxes and other taxes which is approximately 40% of the total budget.