The profit tax system that came into force on January 1, 2017, in Georgia aims to create a favorable business environment, accelerate economic growth, and improve tax administration. This system is based on the distributed profit taxation regime, similar to the one implemented in Estonia.

The Estonian model of Corporate Income Taxation (CIT) that came into force on January 1, 2017, in Georgia is based on the distributed profit taxation regime, according to which retained corporate income is tax-free, and profit is taxed at 15% only when distributed.

In 2016 reform to levy profit tax was carried out in Georgia to accelerate economic growth in the country, create a favorable environment for starting business and production, and tax administration. The reform envisaged transferring into the Estonian model of levying profit tax, resulting in levying enterprises with taxes during profit distribution.

Economic reforms announced in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in October 2016 raised concerns about whether Georgia was departing from its path of prudent fiscal policy. A reform of the corporate profit tax and increased infrastructure investment were driving expectations of a 6% of GDP budget deficit in 2017, endangering Georgia’s macroeconomic stability and its reputation with investors.