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Business Environment

Business Practices | Accounting Rules | Tax Rates | Intellectual Property | Legal Framework | Standards

Business Practices

General information
Libyaonline, Various documents required for commercial or practical transactions
Opening hours and days
The banks are open from Sunday to Wednesday from 8 am to 1 pm, then from 4 pm to 6.30 pm. On Thursday, banks are open from 7 am to 2 pm.
 

Public holidays

Jamahiriya Day 2 March
British Evacuation Day 28 March
Army Day 9 August
National Day   1 September
Italian Evacuation Day 7 October
1911 Deportation Memorial Day 26 October
Independence Day 24 December
 
 

Periods when companies usually close

Aïd al-Mawlid commemorates the birth of the Prophet Mohammed Variable but lasts one day
Aïd al-Fitr corresponds to the end of the Ramadan fast period Variable but lasts one day
The Anniversary of the Revolution is the most important civil festival in the country 1 September
 

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Accounting Rules

Tax year
1 January to 31 December.
Accounting regulation bodies
Professional accountancy bodies
Accounting news

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Tax Rates

Consumption taxes

Tax rate
There is no VAT.

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Corporate taxes

Company tax
Progressive rate from 15% to 40%
Capital gains taxation
Capital gains are treated as income and taxed at the standard rate.
Other corporate taxes
The Jihad tax (national defense tax) on companies: it is levied on companies' annual taxable profits: 4% on the taxable profits.

Registration tax for contracts. The tax is 2% for the main contract and 1% for a sub-contract.

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Individual taxes

Tax rate

Personal Income Tax from 8 to 15%
Upto LYD 4,800 8%
From LYD 4,801 LYD to 9,600 10%
Beyond LYD 9,601 15%
Personal Jihad Tax It varies from 1% to 3% according to income
Allowable deductions and tax credit
no
Special expatriate tax regime
No

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Double taxation treaties

Countries with whom a double taxation treaty have been signed
Whithholding taxes
Dividends: 0, Interest: 5%, Royalties: are tax as ordinary income.

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Sources of fiscal information

Tax Authorities
Libyan Customs
Other domestic resources
Taxes on the website of the Libyan Central Bank

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Intellectual Property

National organizations
 Libya is a member of the WIPO Convention (convention instituting the World Intellectual Property Organisation). It is also a signatory to the Paris Convention on industrial property, as well as the Berne Convention on the protection of literary and artistic works.
Regional organizations
The Secretariat of the People's Public Committee - National Board for Scientific Research
 

National regulation and international agreements

 
Type of property and law Validity International agreements signed
Patent
 
law n° 8 of 1959 on patents and on industrial designs and models. 1959
Protection is for a period of 15 years from the date of registration. It can be renewed once for a period of 5 years. Payment is made by annual increments.
Trademark
 
Paris Convention on industrial property 1967
10 years from registration. There is a 3 months' wait after the date of registration during which anybody can oppose the request for protection. This can be renewed every 10 years. Trademark law treaty
Nice agreement
Protocol relating to the Madrid Agreement
Copyright
 
Law number 7 of 1984 based on law number 9 of 1968 on copyright protection.
Protection is valid for the lifetime of the author plus a period of 50 years.

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Legal Framework

Independence of justice
The judiciary is not independent in Libya. Security forces have the power to punish someone without a trial and political trials are held in secret.
Equal treatment of nationals and foreigners
Foreign nationals cannot expect an impartial trial from the country's judicial system.
The language of justice
Arabic is the judicial language in the country.
Recourse to an interpreter
Having an interpreter is possible.
Sources of the law and legal similarities
 The main source of the law is the constitution of 1969 (amended in March 1977). The country's legal system is based on the Italian civil law system and Islamic law. Libya has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. 
Checking national laws online

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Standards

National standards organizations
Libyan National Centre for Standardization and Metrology
Integration in the international standards network
Libya is part of the Arab industrial development and mining organization and the International Organization for Standardization
Classification of standards
To be able to penetrate the market, certain products must be accompanied by certificates: - the halal certificate for meat and its derived products. It is delivered by representatives of the Muslim religion in your country.
- the phytosanitary certificate is obligatory for fruit and vegetables, seeds and other plants. It is the regional plant protection service that issues it. - the health certificate necessary for meat. This is delivered by the departmental management of veterinary services. Regarding standards, the Libyan government has reformed the NCSM (National Centre for Standardization and Metrology) responsible for unifying the rules in the form of ISO 9000/9002.
Online consultation of standards
The standards certified by Libya can be found on the website of the Libyan National Centre for Standardization and Metrology
Certification organizations
Libyan National Centre for Standardization and Metrology

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Last updates: October 2009