Najiha Abbas Habib, director general of Iraq’s tax authority, rejected the allegation U.S. contractors are being gouged. American companies working in Iraq are not exempt from taxation, she said, adding that Iraq’s tax rates are actually lower than other Middle East countries. “Many foreign companies operate in Iraq without paying any taxes at all,” Habib said. The command declined to provide a list of the U.S. companies in Iraq with Defence Department contracts. 2 Republican, has thrown his support to the U.S. companies, telling Tillerson and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis that he’s concerned the income tax demands could lead American contractors to avoid Iraq altogether.

Source: National Post September 25, 2017 08:03 UTC