Cyprus VAT Compliance Guide
Cyprus applies a standard VAT rate of 19% (reduced 9% / reduced 5%) under the VAT Law N.95(I)/2000. The registration threshold for turnover is €15,600 per year. Filing is quarterly using the VAT200 return, with payment due within 40 days of the quarter-end. Cyprus transposed the EU e-invoicing directive but does not yet operate a continuous transaction control (CTC) regime.
Cyprus is a relatively straightforward VAT jurisdiction — three rates, a single quarterly return (VAT200), and no mandatory real-time e-invoicing yet. The main risk for small businesses is the threshold: once turnover exceeds €15,600, registration is retrospective to the date the threshold was crossed, not the date you realised it. The second risk is record quality — the VAT200 is only as accurate as the invoices behind it, and supplier invoices arriving in inboxes with missing VAT numbers or wrong rates create exactly the kind of reconciliation gaps that trigger assessments.
VAT Rates
| Rate | Applies To |
|---|---|
| 19% | Standard rate — most goods and services |
| 9% | Reduced — restaurant and catering services, transport, hotel accommodation, certain foodstuffs |
| 5% | Super-reduced — books, newspapers, basic foodstuffs (bread, milk, eggs), pharmaceuticals, certain medical equipment |
| 0% | Exports, intra-community supplies, international transport, certain financial and insurance services |
Registration Thresholds
| Scheme | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Domestic turnover (goods + services) | €15,600 per rolling 12-month period |
| Distance sales / cross-border services (EU) | €10,000 combined annual threshold across all EU Member States |
| Non-established businesses | Register before making any taxable supply in Cyprus |
Filing Requirements
VAT200 return
Quarterly filing via the Tax For All (TFA) portal. Payment due within 40 days of the quarter-end. Nil returns are mandatory even if no VAT is due.
VIES / Intrastat
VIES declaration (intra-EU supplies) filed quarterly with the VAT200. Intrastat required above annual dispatch/arrival thresholds.
Record retention
All invoices and supporting records retained for 6 years from the end of the tax year, per the VAT Law and Tax Administration Law.
E-Invoicing Status
Cyprus has transposed the EU e-invoicing directive (2014/55/EU) for B2G procurement, but does not yet operate a mandatory B2B or B2C continuous transaction control (CTC) system. E-invoicing via the Peppol network is available voluntarily. The Cyprus Tax Department has indicated it is monitoring EU developments (ViDA) before introducing a broader mandate.
Key Deadlines
VAT200 + payment: within 40 days of quarter-end (e.g. 10 May for Q1 ending 31 March). VIES: same schedule as VAT200.
How Nika Helps
Nika captures every supplier invoice the day it arrives — VAT number, rate, net, VAT, gross — and files the original PDF, from {price} per processed invoice. That means the VAT200 the accountant files is backed by complete records, not a scramble of late emails. Nika does not file the VAT200 itself.
What happens if I cross the €15,600 threshold mid-year?
You must notify the Tax Department within 30 days. Registration is effective from the day your turnover exceeded the threshold — so track cumulative turnover monthly, not at year-end.
Is e-invoicing mandatory in Cyprus?
Not for B2B/B2C yet. Peppol e-invoicing is available voluntarily, and Cyprus is expected to follow the EU ViDA direction. For now, the obligation is accurate records and timely VAT200 filing.