High taxes and costs push Aleppo traders toward closure

Hussam (a pseudonym), owner of a technology and electronics store on Al-Makatib Street in Al-Jamiliya neighborhood in Aleppo, is considering closing his shop and replacing it with a small street stall as a reaction to his inability to cope with what he described as exorbitant taxes imposed by the interim government authorities in Syria on professionals, craftsmen, and shop owners.

Hussam’s shop is about 30 square meters, and he is required to pay an annual tax estimated at 20 million Syrian pounds, in addition to rent, which this year increased by 50% to reach 12,000 US dollars due to severe inflation.

These costs are further compounded by electricity bills reaching around 2 million Syrian pounds per month, as well as workers’ wages.

Hussam explains that, based on a simple calculation, he needs around 24 million Syrian pounds (about 1,750 US dollars) per month just to keep his electronics business running, not including other expenses.

This comes alongside the weak purchasing power of the majority of Syrians, which has pushed sales activity—the main source of income for shop owners—to the point of near collapse.

The “Quarterly Performance Report – First Quarter 2026” issued by the Syrian Development Fund indicates that more than 80% of the population lives below the poverty line, with overall unemployment exceeding 50% and youth unemployment reaching 60%.

It also estimates that around 15 million people need assistance to meet their basic needs, while accumulated economic losses are estimated at 800 billion dollars.

In the same context, Bakri (a pseudonym), a clothing store owner in Al-Furqan neighborhood in Aleppo, said he had been waiting for the approach of Eid al-Adha to compensate for losses caused by heavy taxes, which reached 15 million Syrian pounds.

Bakri added that he had resorted to legal channels to contest the tax value, but his appeal—submitted in February—has still not been decided, while he continues to receive notices demanding payment within a short deadline under threat of seizure.

He stressed that the new tax burdens have become a major strain amid economic decline, weak trade activity, and the depreciation of the Syrian pound, saying: “We did not leave the country over all these years hoping that our situation would improve one day, but it seems these measures will push us toward striking instead of working just to collect government taxes.”

ANHA