CIT 20% · Foreign Shareholders · ZATCA Filing

Corporate Income Tax Saudi Arabia

Complete CIT compliance for foreign-owned and mixed-ownership companies in Saudi Arabia — annual returns, advance payments, and ZATCA audit support.

Corporate income tax filing Saudi Arabia
CIT Compliance KSA
Corporate Income Tax (CIT) in Saudi Arabia is levied at 20% on the taxable income attributable to foreign shareholders in Saudi companies. Saudi national and GCC national shareholders pay Zakat on their ownership portion instead. Where a company has exclusively foreign shareholders (such as a wholly foreign-owned Saudi entity), CIT applies to 100% of taxable profits.

CIT is administered by ZATCA and shares the same filing portal and audit framework as Zakat. The annual CIT return must be filed within 120 days of the financial year-end, with quarterly advance CIT payments required during the year based on the prior year's liability. Intelli Solutions provides complete CIT compliance services — from computing taxable income and preparing the annual return to managing advance payments and representing clients in ZATCA CIT audits.

How CIT is Calculated in Saudi Arabia

1

Start: Accounting profit

Begin with the net profit per audited financial statements for the year.

2

Add back: Non-deductible expenses

ZATCA disallows certain deductions including excessive related-party charges, entertainment expenses above the limit, penalties, non-business expenses, and interest above the thin capitalisation limit.

3

Deduct: Tax allowances

Eligible capital allowances on depreciable assets — ZATCA has specific depreciation rates for different asset classes that may differ from accounting depreciation.

4

Apply: Foreign shareholder percentage

Multiply the taxable income by the foreign shareholder's ownership percentage — this is the income subject to CIT. Saudi/GCC shareholder portions are subject to Zakat.

5

Apply: CIT rate of 20%

The 20% CIT rate is applied to the foreign shareholder's portion of taxable income. There is no reduced rate for SMEs or specific sectors (with narrow exceptions for certain upstream oil & gas activities taxed at 85%).

By the numbers

Corporate Income Tax Saudi Arabia — Key Facts

20%
Standard CIT rate
120 days
Return filing deadline
85%
Upstream oil & gas rate
25%
Annual loss offset cap
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions — Corporate Income Tax Saudi Arabia

The standard CIT rate is 20% on taxable income attributable to foreign shareholders. For upstream petroleum and natural gas companies, a higher rate of 50%–85% applies under the Petroleum Income Tax Law. Companies fully owned by Saudi/GCC nationals pay Zakat instead of CIT. Mixed-ownership companies pay both Zakat (on Saudi portion) and CIT (on foreign portion) simultaneously.
Yes. Businesses with a prior-year CIT liability above SAR 500,000 must make quarterly advance CIT payments — typically calculated as 25% of the prior year's assessed CIT, due at the end of each quarter. The final payment and any top-up are due with the annual return at 120 days. Failure to make advance payments attracts late payment interest at ZATCA's published rate.
Yes. Tax losses can be carried forward and offset against CIT taxable income in future years, but the annual deduction is capped at 25% of taxable income for that year. Losses can be carried forward indefinitely (no expiry period). Carried-forward losses may be forfeited in certain corporate restructuring or change-of-control transactions.
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