Moroccan Accounting, Tax and Business Terms, Explained in English

Public offices and institutions

DGI (Direction Générale des Impôts · General Tax Directorate)

The Moroccan tax administration. It registers companies for tax, receives all tax returns (VAT, corporate tax, income tax, withholding taxes) and carries out tax audits. Returns and payments are made online on its SIMPL portal.

CNSS (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale · National Social Security Fund)

The social security body for private-sector employees. Every employer must register with the CNSS, declare its employees every month and pay social contributions, including health insurance (AMO). Declarations are made on the Damancom portal.

AMO (Assurance Maladie Obligatoire · Compulsory Health Insurance)

The mandatory health insurance scheme managed by the CNSS for private-sector employees. Its contributions are declared and paid together with the other CNSS contributions.

OMPIC (Office Marocain de la Propriété Industrielle et Commerciale · Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property)

Keeps the central trade register, issues the negative certificate for company names, protects trademarks and runs DirectEntreprise, the national online platform for setting up companies.

CRI (Centre Régional d'Investissement · Regional Investment Centre)

One-stop shop for investors in each region of Morocco. It guides investors, helps with administrative procedures and handles investment projects and incentives at regional level.

AMDIE (Agence Marocaine de Développement des Investissements et des Exportations · Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency)

The national agency that promotes Morocco to foreign investors and supports large investment projects.

Office des Changes (Foreign Exchange Office)

The authority that regulates foreign-currency operations and transfers between Morocco and the rest of the world. Its rules decide, for example, how foreign investors can repatriate dividends and sale proceeds. Banks apply these rules on its behalf.

Bank Al-Maghrib (Central Bank of Morocco)

Morocco's central bank. It issues the dirham, sets monetary policy and supervises banks.

Tribunal de commerce (Commercial Court)

Keeps the local trade register (registre de commerce) where companies are registered, and receives legal filings such as changes to the articles of association.

CNC (Conseil National de la Comptabilité · National Accounting Council)

The body that issues Moroccan accounting standards, including the General Accounting Code (CGNC) and sector-specific charts of accounts.

Company identification numbers

ICE (Identifiant Commun de l'Entreprise · Common Company Identifier)

A unique 15-digit number that identifies a company with all Moroccan administrations. It must appear on invoices and official documents.

IF (Identifiant Fiscal · Tax Identification Number)

The number given by the DGI to identify the company for tax purposes. It is used on all tax returns.

RC (Registre de Commerce · Trade Register Number)

The registration number of the company at the trade register of the commercial court. Registration gives the company its legal existence.

CNSS affiliation number (Numéro d'affiliation CNSS · Social security employer number)

The number that identifies the company as an employer with the CNSS.

TP (Taxe Professionnelle · Business tax registration)

Number linked to the local business tax. New companies are generally exempt from this tax for their first five years of activity.

Main taxes

TVA / VAT (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée · Value Added Tax)

A tax on sales of goods and services, collected by the company from its customers and paid to the DGI, after deducting the VAT paid on purchases. The standard rate is 20%, with reduced rates for some goods and services.

IS (Impôt sur les Sociétés · Corporate Income Tax)

The tax on company profits. It is paid during the year through four instalments (acomptes provisionnels), each based on the previous year's tax, then settled with the annual return.

CM (Cotisation Minimale · Minimum Tax)

A minimum amount of corporate tax due even when the company makes a loss, calculated on turnover. Newly created companies are exempt for their first 36 months of operation.

IR (Impôt sur le Revenu · Personal Income Tax)

The tax on individuals' income. For employers, the important part is the income tax on salaries, which the company withholds from each payslip and pays to the DGI.

RAS (Retenue à la Source · Withholding Tax)

Tax deducted by the payer at the time of payment and paid directly to the DGI, for example on salaries, dividends, some fees paid to individuals or payments to foreign service providers.

Droits d'enregistrement (Registration Duties)

Duties paid when certain documents and transactions are registered, such as share transfers, capital increases or property purchases.

Returns, declarations and online portals

SIMPL (Services des Impôts en Ligne · DGI online tax services)

The DGI portal used to file returns and pay taxes online: SIMPL-TVA for VAT, SIMPL-IS for corporate tax, SIMPL-IR for income tax, and more.

Déclaration de TVA (VAT return)

The periodic VAT return, monthly or quarterly depending on the company's turnover, showing VAT collected, VAT deductible and the amount to pay.

Liasse fiscale (Annual tax return package)

The set of documents filed with the annual corporate tax return: the financial statements and the tax schedules. It is filed electronically after the year-end.

État 9421 (Déclaration des traitements et salaires · Annual payroll declaration)

The annual return in which employers report to the DGI all salaries paid and the income tax withheld for each employee.

Damancom (CNSS online portal)

The CNSS portal used by employers to declare salaries and pay social security contributions every month.

BDS (Bordereau de Déclaration des Salaires · Monthly salary declaration)

The monthly CNSS declaration listing each employee, their salary and days worked, on which contributions are calculated.

Délais de paiement (Déclaration des délais de paiement · Payment terms reporting)

Moroccan law limits how long companies may take to pay their suppliers. Companies above certain thresholds must report late payments to the DGI and may owe a fine.

DirectEntreprise (Online company formation platform)

The national platform, run by OMPIC, used to create a company online. It connects the trade register, the tax administration and the CNSS in one procedure.

Company law and formation

SARL / SARLAU (Société à Responsabilité Limitée (à Associé Unique) · Limited Liability Company (single shareholder))

The most common company form in Morocco, with one to fifty shareholders and no legal minimum capital. With a single shareholder it is called an SARLAU.

SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée · Simplified Joint-Stock Company)

A flexible company form created by Law 19-20, where shareholders write most of the rules themselves. Popular for start-ups and projects with several investors.

SA (Société Anonyme · Public Limited Company)

A company form for larger businesses, with a board of directors, a statutory auditor and a minimum capital.

Certificat négatif (Negative certificate)

A certificate from OMPIC confirming that the chosen company name is available. It is the first step in creating a company.

Statuts (Articles of association)

The founding document of the company: name, purpose, registered office, capital, shareholders and management rules.

Domiciliation (Registered office service)

A contract with a licensed company that provides your registered address, often used when starting a business without premises.

Gérant (Manager)

The person legally appointed to run an SARL and sign on its behalf. He or she can be a shareholder or not, Moroccan or foreign.

AGO / AGE (Assemblée Générale Ordinaire / Extraordinaire · Ordinary / Extraordinary General Meeting)

Shareholders' meetings. The ordinary meeting approves the annual accounts every year; the extraordinary meeting decides on changes to the articles, such as capital or address changes.

PV (Procès-verbal · Minutes)

The written record of decisions taken at a shareholders' or board meeting.

Accounting terms

CGNC (Code Général de Normalisation Comptable · Moroccan General Accounting Code)

The Moroccan accounting standard that every company must follow. It defines the chart of accounts and the format of the financial statements. It differs from IFRS.

États de synthèse (Financial statements)

The annual financial statements required by the CGNC: balance sheet (Bilan), income statement (CPC), management balances statement (ESG), cash-flow table (TF) and notes (ETIC). Smaller companies prepare a simplified set.

Bilan (Balance sheet)

A snapshot at year-end of what the company owns (assets) and what it owes (equity and liabilities).

CPC (Compte de Produits et Charges · Income statement)

The statement of revenue and expenses for the year, showing the profit or loss.

ETIC (État des Informations Complémentaires · Notes to the financial statements)

Additional information and detailed tables that explain the figures of the financial statements.

Grand livre (General ledger)

The book listing every transaction, account by account.

Balance (Balance générale · Trial balance)

A table showing the total debits, credits and balance of each account at a given date.

Exercice (Exercice comptable · Financial year)

The accounting period, usually twelve months, often from 1 January to 31 December.

Lettre de mission (Engagement letter)

The written agreement between the accounting firm and the client, setting out the services, responsibilities and fees.

Comptable agréé (Licensed accountant)

An accountant licensed under Moroccan law to keep accounts, prepare financial statements and file tax returns for companies.

Commissaire aux comptes (Statutory auditor)

An independent auditor who certifies the accounts of companies that are legally required to have one, such as public limited companies (SA).

Banking and exchange control

Dirham (Dirham marocain (MAD) · Moroccan dirham)

The national currency. It is only partially convertible, which is why foreign-currency transfers follow specific rules.

Compte en dirhams convertibles (Convertible dirham account)

A bank account in dirhams funded with foreign currency, which can be converted and transferred abroad. Non-resident shareholders use it to bring in capital so they can repatriate it later.

Compte en devises (Foreign currency account)

A bank account held in euros, dollars or another foreign currency.

Régime de convertibilité (Convertibility regime)

The Office des Changes rule that allows foreign investors who invested in foreign currency to transfer their income (such as dividends) and the proceeds of a sale or liquidation out of Morocco.

Non-résident (Non-resident)

For exchange control purposes, a person whose main residence is outside Morocco. Non-residents benefit from the most favourable transfer rules for their investments.

Go further

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