Is it permissible to pay a small sum to a local administrative unit employee to avoid being reported for building a small addition to a house, knowing that this construction does not harm anyone and there is no financial capacity to bear the high costs of licenses for building an entire floor? And is this considered a bribe?

The fundamental principle is that the restrictions and laws established by the state for the public interest must be adhered to and not circumvented. Otherwise, this would lead to chaos and the prioritization of personal interests over public ones. Therefore, it is impermissible for the questioner or anyone else to offer money to an employee to overlook violations of these laws, nor is it permissible for the employee to accept it, as it constitutes prohibited bribery. Indeed, "Allah has cursed the one who gives a bribe, the one who takes a bribe, and the one who mediates between them." What is unlawful to take is also unlawful to give. As for the entitlement to build and whether it causes harm, this should be referred to the scholars and specialists in the country.