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Cyprus Tax Reform Delivers Substantial Gains For Taxpayers And Businesses

New Tax Regime Provides Immediate Relief

Approximately 200,000 taxpayers in Cyprus saw an increase in their net income with the January salary payments as a direct result of the recently implemented tax reform. In addition, it is projected that around 30,000 individuals will have zero income tax liability by 2026. According to Tax Commissioner Sotiris Markidis, these changes represent a comprehensive milestone with positive effects for both citizens and businesses.

Who Pays Less Tax Now

The new framework introduces a significant shift. Individuals without personal tax deductions will only be subject to income tax if their gross monthly income exceeds €2,100, placing Cyprus in a unique position within Europe. The reform also raises the tax-free threshold from €19,500 to €22,000 and introduces new personal deductions related to family income, housing, and green initiatives such as energy-efficient home upgrades and the purchase of electric vehicles. Together, these measures reflect a forward-looking fiscal strategy.

Benefits For Families And Businesses

The reforms extend tangible benefits to families as well as small enterprises. For example, a family of six with a total income of €130,000 could secure an annual tax advantage of approximately €7,000. Similarly, a single-parent household with three dependents may realize yearly savings of about €4,200. On the business front, the elimination of the deemed dividend distribution and a reduction in the Special Defence Contribution are anticipated to bolster the competitiveness of more than 30,000 small family-owned companies across the island.

Education And Implementation

To facilitate a smooth transition to the new system, the Tax Department has launched an intensive series of seminars. Over 10,000 participants are expected to attend these sessions by the end of February, ensuring that the reform is both well-understood and effectively implemented.

Meta’s Muse Is Outpacing ChatGPT In Early Mobile Adoption, New Data Suggests

Meta’s new AI app, Muse, may be emerging as one of the company’s strongest consumer launches to date. Fresh estimates from market intelligence firm Apptopia suggest the app has outperformed ChatGPT in early mobile traction, at least in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Apptopia, Muse recorded more downloads in its first 12 days on the market than ChatGPT did during the comparable period after its mobile debut. The comparison, limited to the U.S. and Canada, puts Muse’s iOS downloads at 1.8 million versus 1.3 million for ChatGPT over the same initial window.

A Strong Early Start Across Platforms

In total, Muse has reached 2.8 million global installs in its first 12 days, according to the firm. The app’s momentum also appears to be holding. After debuting at No. 2 on the U.S. App Store, Muse has since climbed to No. 1, surpassing ChatGPT, according to reporting from Business Insider. Appfigures had previously estimated that Muse crossed 1 million downloads shortly after launch.

That early rise matters because app-store performance in the first days after launch often signals whether a product can sustain consumer attention beyond initial curiosity. In Meta’s case, the data suggests Muse is not simply benefiting from novelty; it is gaining ground quickly enough to challenge the category leader.

Daily Users Show Similar Momentum

Apptopia’s estimates point to another favorable comparison for Meta: daily usage. In the U.S. alone, Muse is said to have 642,000 daily active users, well above the 231,000 ChatGPT had at the same stage of its mobile rollout.

To make the comparison fairer, Apptopia also narrowed the analysis to iOS only, since ChatGPT launched on iPhone before expanding more broadly. Even under that tighter lens, Muse still comes out ahead, with 359,000 daily active users on iOS compared with ChatGPT’s earlier figure.

Why Meta Has An Advantage

Third-party estimates are not the same as internal company data, and Apptopia cannot see Meta’s proprietary numbers. Still, even directional data suggests Muse may be on track to become a meaningful consumer product for Meta.

That possibility is strengthened by Meta’s distribution advantage. The company has already demonstrated how powerful its ecosystem can be with Threads, which surpassed 500 million users after heavy promotion across Instagram and Facebook. Muse is likely to receive a similar boost, especially because it can connect across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Apptopia does not track Meta’s internal promotion strategy, but its data indicates that more than 95% of Muse users are also Facebook users, while 63% are Instagram users. That overlap underscores how effectively Meta can move users across its products when it chooses to prioritize a launch.

The Strategic Test For Meta

For Meta, the early signal from Muse is less about one app’s download count than about whether the company can turn its scale into durable AI adoption. The first test is attention. The harder one is retention.

If Muse can convert early downloads into habitual use, Meta may have found a new front door into its AI ambitions. If not, the app risks becoming another example of how easily mobile hype can spike before settling back down.

Meta, which was asked for comment, has not yet released public figures on Muse’s early adoption.

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