Women leaders say new income tax law should be ‘gender-sensitive’

AMMAN — Women leaders on Sunday called for granting tax exemptions and incentives to employers who recruit females under any amendments to the Income Tax Law, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

They also argued that any new income tax law should be “gender-sensitive”, seeking to encourage job owners to increase the percentage of women in their institutions by granting them tax exemptions and incentives.    

Such remarks were raised during a meeting of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Rajai Muashe with representatives of women’s organisations as part of the government’s discussions of the new income tax law with various segments of the society, according to Petra. 

Women representatives also called for a reconsideration of the value of sales tax which, they described, as the “highest in the world”. They also demanded that charity societies be exempted from sales tax.  

During the meeting, which was attended by the Minister of Political and Parliamentary Affairs Musa Maaytah and Minister of Finance Ezzeddine Kanakrieh, Muasher said that the aim of the new income tax law is to create a new economic approach that takes into consideration growth and justice. 

He pointed out that any new tax law should also take into account that the tax is progressive, noting that the tax burden in Jordan is suffering from several imbalances, according to Petra.

The minister also said that a new tax law should also address tax evasion and ensure fair distribution of tax burden among taxpayers.

Women leaders also called on the government to recognise the females’ economic participation and encourage them to start their small and pioneering projects, Petra reported.