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December 6, 2016: More than 2,000 lawyers protested Tuesday in Tunis against the new tax provisions imposed on them in the 2017 budget bill, which is currently being reviewed by Parliament. “With our souls, with our blood, we will defend the legal profession,” shouted the protesters in black robes in front of the government headquarters in the Kasbah, in downtown Tunis, after marching a few hundred meters. “Lawyers are angry!” and “We won’t finance your corruption,” read the signs held by the protesters, many of whom consider the new measures “unfair” and “unenforceable.” At issue are fees imposed for each case handled—fees that are tax-deductible and included in the 2017 budget bill. However, this movement is not universally supported, and on social media as well as in some media outlets, the lawyers’ protests have been viewed as an attempt to secure special treatment. According to the online magazine Inkyfada, which analyzed official data, 60% of registered lawyers did not file tax returns in 2015, and “lawyers in good standing pay an average of 228 dinars (92 euros) in income tax per month.”

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