Egypt share-sale stamp duty: one rate from Law 153 of 2026
Residents return to stamp duty on sales of listed shares at 0.5 per thousand instead of capital gains tax; the non-resident rate falls from 1.25 to 0.5; same-day trades bear 0.25.
By Tax Department · 23 September 2026 · 6 min read
The seller and the buyer of securities listed on the Egyptian Exchange, other than listed investment certificates, each bear stamp duty of 0.5 per thousand on gross sales, or 0.25 per thousand on purchases and sales carried out on the same day, whether they are resident or non-resident. This follows from Law 153 of 2026 amending certain provisions of the Stamp Duty Law issued by Law 111 of 1980. Law 153 was published in the Official Gazette, issue 30 bis (A), on 28 July 2026 and took effect on the following day. It replaced article 83 bis of Law 111 and repealed article 5 of Law 199 of 2020. It is one of seven laws published in the same issue of the Official Gazette; all seven are reviewed together in Egypt's July 2026 tax package.
The rule binds residents and non-residents alike. Residents had been taken out of the duty by the repealed article 5 once the postponement of capital gains tax ended; in return, Law 151 of 2026 exempted their capital gains on listed securities. They have therefore moved from a tax on the gain to a duty on gross proceeds. For non-residents, the rate fell from 1.25 per thousand to 0.5 per thousand, level with residents.
The text before and after
The previous text of article 83 bis was enacted by article 1 of Law 199 of 2020, published in the Official Gazette, issue 39 bis (G), on 30 September 2020. It included the following (unofficial translation):
"A tax is imposed on the gross sales of securities of all kinds, whether those securities are Egyptian or foreign, listed on the securities market or unlisted, with no costs deducted, as follows: 1.25 per thousand borne by the non-resident seller, 1.25 per thousand borne by the non-resident buyer; 0.5 per thousand borne by the resident seller, 0.5 per thousand borne by the resident buyer. The tax provided for in the first paragraph of this article shall not apply to purchases and sales of securities carried out on the same day."
Article 5 of the same law provided that a resident would not be subject to the stamp duty imposed by article 83 bis as from the day following the end of the postponement period provided for in article 4 of Law 199. The postponement in question was of capital gains tax on residents' gains from listed securities. Once it ended, residents were subject to capital gains tax and bore no stamp duty.
The current text of article 83 bis, enacted by Law 153, includes the following:
"A tax is imposed on the gross sales of securities listed on the Egyptian Exchange, other than investment certificates listed on the exchange, with no costs deducted. The burden is borne by both seller and buyer as follows: 0.5 per thousand borne by the resident or non-resident buyer, and 0.5 per thousand borne by the resident or non-resident seller, as the case may be; or 0.25 per thousand borne by the buyer and 0.25 per thousand borne by the seller, resident or non-resident as the case may be, in respect of purchases and sales of securities carried out on the same day."
The same article provides that the duty does not apply to transactions carried out by companies licensed to act as an accredited market maker under the Capital Market Law issued by Law 95 of 1992. That exemption was not in the previous text.
Four differences
| Item | Before Law 153 | After |
|---|---|---|
| Resident | Outside the duty since the end of the capital gains tax postponement | 0.5 per thousand on each of seller and buyer |
| Non-resident | 1.25 per thousand on the seller and the same on the buyer | 0.5 per thousand on each |
| Scope | All securities, Egyptian or foreign, listed or unlisted | Securities listed on the Egyptian Exchange only, other than listed investment certificates |
| Same-day trades | Outside the charge | 0.25 per thousand on each of seller and buyer |
The amendment does not move in one direction. It cut the non-resident rate to less than half its former level and confined the scope to listed securities, but it brought residents back within the duty and moved same-day trades from outside the charge to inside it. A trader who opens and closes a position on the same day previously bore nothing and now bears 0.25 per thousand on each leg.
Withholding and remittance
The body responsible for settling the sales must withhold the duty and remit it to the competent tax office within five days of the beginning of the month following the month in which the transaction took place, on the prescribed form. It is jointly liable with the seller and the buyer for the duty and the late payment charge; the previous text of the article contained the same rule. The obligation to withhold and remit therefore does not sit with the investor, but joint liability means a failure by that body does not discharge them.
Stamp duty and capital gains tax
The duty is charged on gross sales with no costs deducted. It is therefore due on the full sale value whatever the outcome of the trade, including a trade closed at a loss. That is what distinguishes it from capital gains tax, whose base is the gain.
Law 151 dealt with capital gains separately: it exempted capital gains on the disposal of securities listed on the Egyptian Exchange while disallowing the deduction of losses on such disposals, barred carrying those losses forward to later years in item 7 that it added to article 31 of the Income Tax Law issued by Law 91 of 2005, and excluded from the exemption a disposal that results in the company's shares being delisted (articles 1 and 2 of Law 151). It also waived unpaid capital gains tax on the disposal of listed shares for the period from 16 June 2023 until it came into force (article 5 of Law 151). The detail is in Egypt income tax amendments 2026.
What we recommend
- For residents: check that the duty is being applied at 0.5 per thousand to their transactions from 29 July 2026.
- For non-residents: review anything withheld at 1.25 per thousand on transactions from 29 July 2026.
- Review settlement statements for the rate applied to same-day trades, which now carry 0.25 per thousand.
- Exclude securities not listed on the Egyptian Exchange, and listed investment certificates, from the duty computation for transactions after Law 153 came into force.
- Keep stamp duty separate from capital gains tax in the records; each has its own base and its own treatment.
The firm's Tax Department reviews the tax treatment of securities portfolios and what is withheld on them, and prepares any adjustments required.
Mahmoud Nassef, Founder Partner
Chartered Accountant, Ministry of Finance, Egypt
Member, Egyptian Society of Accountants & Auditors
Member, Egyptian Tax Society
Member, Egyptian Society for Public Finance and Taxation
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Disclaimer: This bulletin is prepared for general information on the legislation in force at the date of its publication. It does not constitute a professional opinion or tax or legal advice on any particular matter, and it should not be relied upon in place of advice based on an examination of the circumstances of each case. Nassef & Partners International accepts no responsibility for any action taken, or refrained from, in reliance on its contents. The positions stated remain subject to subsequent legislation and decisions.