Record tax revenues and increased targeted controls
Buoyed by the overhaul of the tax system and the strengthening of controls, tax revenues rose significantly in 2024. Gross tax receipts came to MAD 242.48 billion, up 16% on the previous year and nearly 15% ahead of the Finance Act forecasts. This result, achieved against a backdrop of gradually lower tax rates, illustrates the combined effect of the structural reforms undertaken to reinforce the neutrality and fairness of the system.
In detail, corporate income tax generated MAD 76.88 billion (USD 8 billion) (+14%), while personal income tax rose to MAD 64.57 billion (USD 6 billion) (+19%). VAT rose by 21% to MAD 61.67 billion. Registration and stamp duties rose by 7% to 25.84 billion (USD 2.5 billion).
Among the levers of this dynamic, VAT reform plays a leading role. Since 2019, revenues from this tax have surged by 49.2%, with a clear acceleration observed in 2024. The gradual readjustment of rates, which will continue until 2026, is designed to reduce the “bump” phenomenon, reinforce the tax’s economic neutrality and optimize its yield.
In parallel with this growth in collections, tax refunds, rebates and tax restitutions amounted to 21.95 billion dirhams (USD 2.2 billion) (+20%), reflecting the drive to streamline procedures for the benefit of businesses. At the same time, the General Tax Directorate (DGI) is flexing its tax auditing muscles: additional revenue from tax audits amounted to 17.77 billion dirhams, an increase of 26%.
Behind these figures, the DGI is deploying an increasingly selective policy, based on the growing use of data. In 2024, 60,831 files were subject to documentary audits (+9%), 55% of which concerned individuals, 37% corporate entities and 8% large corporations.
On-site inspections showed an even more marked increase: 7,674 interventions last year, a leap of 32%. This acceleration is explained in particular by the entry into force, via the 2024 Finance Law, of the global examination of the tax situation of individuals. Individuals now account for 47% of cases audited in the field, compared with just 19% in 2023. This change reflects the tax authorities’ determination to better identify the risks associated with undeclared activities. Legal entities account for 53% of audits, with a growing proportion of general audits (82% of interventions versus 18% for spot checks).
The challenge is clear: the aim is no longer to multiply random checks, but to target potential anomalies more precisely. To achieve this, the tax authorities are mobilizing predictive analysis tools, based on the cross-referencing of multiple data: VAT and corporate income tax returns, third-party declarations, sector databases, etc.
Khadija MASMOUDI
