Consideration and analysis of the Special Economic Zone financial condition in the Islamic Republic of Iran legal system

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Iran are founded with a view to facilitate trade and promote domestic and foreign investment for economic growth and prosperity in the region and the country. Among the most important legal issues are raised in relation to these areas, is their tax status that is related directly to promote and attract investment and strengthen the specific characteristics of these areas for economic prosperity which must be placed under the legal system of specific tax regulations. This paper scrutinizes the tax system ruling in these areas through the basic and comparative study, considering the laws of the country, its taxable and deductible activities as well as appropriate evaluations to be taken. This paper clarifies that SEZ tax exemptions in Iran are dedicated to indirect taxes related to transnational economic activities. The lack of exemptions and privileges for direct taxes as well as indirect taxes relating to commercial exchanges within the customs territory of the country, on the one hand, and dispersal of tax rules and regulations on the other, - which are typically regarded as deterrent to investors – are the most important challenges of Iran’s tax system.