• H.E. Khalid Al Bustani: Federal Tax Authority offers awareness programmes tailored to all relevant groups to ensure self-compliance with Corporate Tax.

Dubai, UAE – The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) confirmed that the first phase of the comprehensive awareness campaign launched this year to introduce the new tax recorded significant participation from taxpayers subject to Corporate Tax and various stakeholders involved in its implementation.

The Authority issued a press statement explaining that the campaign, which aims to provide continuous knowledge support to all relevant taxpayers and stakeholders, formed part of the FTA’s efforts to ensure the accurate and seamless implementation of Corporate Tax, in collaboration with relevant entities. The first phase of the campaign included 48 in-person and virtual workshops, which welcomed a total of approximately 13,600 participants, including taxpayers from various business sectors and tax sector stakeholders.

The FTA noted that as part of the campaign, 39 virtual workshops were organised to introduce Corporate Tax and clarify the requirements and procedures for Corporate Tax registration in both Arabic and English. The sessions were delivered through the educational platform launched this year on the FTA official website, which offered weekly workshops and can be accessed by clicking the following link: Virtual Workshops Platform for Corporate Tax.

Furthermore, the Authority explained that the first phase of the Corporate Tax awareness campaign also included nine in-person workshops across all seven emirates. The workshops concluded with a session on the ‘General Principles on Taxation of Corporations and Businesses’, held in Dubai this month (December 2023), and organised by the Federal Tax Authority in collaboration with relevant government and private-sector entities.

FTA Director-General His Excellency Khalid Ali Al Bustani noted that the first phase of the comprehensive Corporate Tax awareness campaign was a tremendous success, generating significant interest and interaction from all stakeholders involved in the implementation of Corporate Tax. H.E. asserted that the Authority welcomed a remarkable number of participants across the in-person and virtual workshops it organised to support and assist taxpayers, facilitating their voluntary self-compliance with Corporate Tax through simple, transparent, and precise procedures.

“The Authority is committed to reaching out to all stakeholders involved in implementing the tax system through various channels,” H.E. added. “And to that end, we launched a Corporate Tax awareness campaign that uses innovative methods to spread tax awareness among all business categories, respond to their inquiries, and support them in overcoming any challenges they face in their efforts to ensure self-compliance with Corporate Tax regulations. The campaign aims to provide them with the necessary information, spare them the need to spend time visiting the Authority’s headquarters, and ensure constant communication with representatives of business sectors and other relevant segments of the community.”

“Since the introduction of Corporate Tax, the Authority has intensified its activities to raise awareness about the tax and highlight its vital role, objectives, and compliance requirements,” H.E. Al Bustani noted. “The positive results observed during the first phase of the campaign reflect the commitment among business sectors to implementing Corporate Tax Law, which aims to advance the UAE’s position as a leading global business and investment hub.”

The FTA is set to continue with its awareness efforts and will be organising the second phase of the comprehensive Corporate Tax awareness campaign in 2024. Phase two will focus on various specific topics, raising awareness about legislation, requirements, and procedures for precise compliance with Corporate Tax obligations, offering educational programmes suitable for all relevant groups, and incorporating the latest technologies in this field to ensure easy access to information and prepare the business community to efficiently implement Corporate Tax Law.

The Authority went on to note that during the workshops, its tax experts review the fundamentals of the Corporate Tax Law, along with its related policies, legislative procedures, timeline, and flexible implementation procedures. They underline the criteria to determine who would be subject to Corporate Tax and who would be exempt, explaining other concepts, such as taxable income, tax rates, and tax periods. Moreover, the FTA experts outline the facilities offered for startups and small businesses, Corporate Tax in free zones, business restructuring relief, and tax losses relief, in addition to highlighting transitional rules and provisions for tax groups, among other topics, before answering questions from participants.

About Federal Tax Authority

The Federal Tax Authority was established by Federal Decree-Law No. (13) of 2016 to help diversify the national economy and increase non-oil revenues in the UAE through the management and collection of federal taxes based on international best practices and standards, as well as to provide all means of support to enable taxpayers to comply with the tax laws and procedures. Since its inception in 2017, the FTA has been committed to cooperate with the competent authorities to establish a comprehensive and balanced system to make the UAE one of the first countries in the world to implement a fully electronic tax system that encourages voluntary compliance, with simple procedures based on the highest standards of transparency and accuracy – beginning from registration, to the submission of tax returns, to the payment of due taxes through the Authority’s website: www.tax.gov.ae