No matter where you live or where your online business is based — if you have customers in Jordan, you gotta follow Jordanian GST rules. That’s what this guide is for! This guide includes everything you need to know about digital tax laws in Jordan, whether your customers live in Amman or Aqaba.
Digital Products
First, let’s confirm what you’re trying to sell in Jordan. Are you selling digital products?
A digital product is any product that’s stored, delivered, and used in an electronic format. These are goods or services that the customer receives via email, by downloading them from the Internet, or through logging into a website.
You’re probably consuming and using digital products all day long, whether or not you realize it. Here are some common ones on the market today:
- E-books, images, movies, and videos, whether buying a copy from Shopify or using a service like Netflix. In tax language, these products are in a category usually called, “Audio, visual, or audio-visual products.”
- Downloadable and streaming music, whether buying an MP3 or using a service like SoundCloud or Spotify. Of course, these products also fall in the audio category.
- Cloud-based software and as-a-Service products, such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS).
- Websites, site hosting services, and internet service providers.
- Online ads and affiliate marketing. Income from these services can be considered taxable under digital tax policies.
You might also hear of digital goods referred to as “digital services,” “e-goods”, or “e-services.” All of these terms refer to the same thing.
Not sure if what you sell is considered a “digital product?” Check out our explanation of what a digital product is exactly.
Heads up: Some countries can have more specific definitions or exceptions that affect how products are taxed.
For example, in Jordan, the general GST rate is 16%. But some telecom services related to digital services in other countries have a “Special Sales Tax” rate of 24%.
Jordan’s GST for digital products
GST is the consumption tax throughout Jordan, levied on almost everything sold in the country. There are specific rules around digital products, which you must follow closely to stay tax compliant.
If you sell digital products to a customer in Jordan, you must charge the GST rate. Simple, right?
It’s simple in theory. But in practice, Jordan GST has a bit more complexity. You don’t necessarily need to add tax to every sale. It can depend on the amount of sales you make in the country, whether the sale is B2B or B2C, and other things. We’ll go into more detail about each of these throughout the rest of the guide!
Registering for Jordan’s GST
Is there a sales registration threshold?
Yes, Jordan has an annual sales registration threshold of JOD 30,000.
What does this mean exactly?
Well, the threshold amount refers to your total sales in the country, during any 12-month period. This can be a calculation of sales in the last twelve months, or a prediction of sales in the next twelve months — any rolling year-long period, past or future.
If your total sales in Jordan remains below JOD 30,000, then you don’t need to worry about GST at all. Phew!
But once your sales do surpass JOD 30,000, then you must register for GST and comply with all of the Jordanian rules around tax rate and collection, invoices, and filing returns.
The registration process
So, it turns out you do need to register for tax in Jordan. Don’t worry! Just follow these instructions from the Jordanian tax authority on how to register for Jordanian GST.
Ultimately, you will receive a GST registration number, which establishes you in the Jordanian tax system as a legal business. This number tracks your business through the system: the taxes you pay, the tax credits you receive, plus the tax you charge from customers.
Do you need a local tax representative?
No, you don’t need a representative to handle your taxes in Jordan. That is, you aren’t required to have one. Some tentative foreign business owners may hire a tax representative for peace of mind. Taxes can be an intimidating and confusing topic, especially in a foreign language! Makes absolute sense.
But because the Jordanian tax portal is available online, it’s possible for you to handle these foreign taxes on your own. It’s just up to you!
Collecting GST in Jordan
If you sell B2C
Once you’re registered for taxes, you’re expected to charge 16% GST on every sale to a Jordanian resident. Please note that some telecom services related to digital services in other countries have a “Special Sales Tax” rate of 24%.
If you sell B2B
If your customer is a fellow business, and they’ve provided a valid GST number, then adding and collecting tax isn’t necessary! The buyer will handle tax, via Jordan’s reverse-charge mechanism.
Tax-free areas in Jordan
A zero rate is applied to the export sales of goods and services to the free zone areas and markets, such as the Aqaba Special Economic Zone and Zarqa Free Zone, and to development areas.
If you use tax compliance software, you can manage your settings so that these regions are always free from GST. In Quaderno, we automatically exempt non-taxable or zero-rated zones, so no checkouts are presented (and no invoices sent) that request the wrong amount.
GST invoices in Jordan
In order to comply with tax laws, you should include the following information on your invoices to customers in Jordan:
- Your business’ name and address
- Your business’ GST registration number
- Invoice date
- Invoice sequencing number
- Buyer’s name and address
- Buyer’s GST registration number, if they have one.
- GST (amount and rate) applied to each item
- Final amount after tax is added
- The currency used
The easiest solution for the GST invoice would be to use a tax software that automatically generates and sends all invoices (as soon as the sale is complete), and also stores them in the cloud for you. Quaderno does just that, but we won’t go on about it here. :)
Filing GST returns in Jordan
Charging and collecting tax is only the first half of staying compliant. The second, and equally important, half is filing returns and paying whatever you might owe to the government.
In Jordan, foreign businesses are expected to file online tax returns every two months. You have up to 30 days to file and pay after the end of each period. So for the reporting period of March-April, your Jordan GST return is due by May 30.
Note: At Quaderno we love providing helpful information and best practices about taxes, but we are not certified tax advisors. For further help, or if you are ever in doubt, please consult a professional tax advisor or the tax authorities.
