Ethiopian judges have rejected a request from lawyers to suspend a controversial value-added tax directive. The ruling highlights an ongoing legal dispute over VAT registration requirements within the legal profession.
On February 21, 2026, judges rejected a bid by lawyers to freeze a controversial VAT directive, according to a report by Nahom Ayele, a staff writer for Addis Fortune. The article outlines a legal battle centered on who should register for value-added tax, noting that the conflict has widened inside the legal profession. This decision allows the directive to remain in place amid the profession's internal divisions. The report provides no further specifics on the court's rationale or the directive's exact provisions, but it underscores the tensions surrounding VAT compliance in Ethiopia's legal sector.
