Will VAT rate go up in GCC?

Top Stories

Will VAT rate go up in GCC?
The IMF recently recommended that five per cent VAT levied in Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of a GCC-wide framework should be raised. - File photo

Published: Mon 17 Jun 2019, 10:48 PM

Last updated: Tue 18 Jun 2019, 5:55 PM

The GCC states will eventually increase value-added tax (VAT) rate, which is one of the lowest in the world, but it could take years before the regional government agree to hike it, tax experts said at a summit on Monday.
Surandar Jesrani, managing partner and chief executive officer (CEO) of MMJS Tax Consultancy, said the UAE and Saudi Arabia cannot unilaterally raise VAT as it is GCC-wide framework agreed among all the six member nations.
"The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a driving factor as the whole GCC VAT is an IMF initiative. The GCC could increase VAT rate but we don't know when. But it cannot be unilateral," he said.
The IMF recently recommended that five per cent VAT levied in Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of a GCC-wide framework should be raised, saying it is low by global standards. "The region really needs to understand when it is right time for the increase. Considering current economic situation, five per cent is fair now. However, there could be an increase," Jesrani said.
Citing examples, he said the UK had introduced VAT in 1973 at eight per cent but later hiked it and now it stands at around 20 per cent. He urged companies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia not to take tax filing lightly.
"If you don't give time to tax, there will be time when you will have to give time only to taxes. A smaller error has resulted in to fines in millions. So it is very important that we give due importance to VAT," Jesrani said during a panel discussion hosted at the two-day CFO Summit which began on Monday.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia were first two countries in the Gulf to levy five per cent VAT on a host of goods and services as part of GCC-wide framework from January 1, 2018. Other countries are following the region's two largest economies in VAT implementation. Last year, the UAE collected Dh27 billion in VAT revenues, surpassing its target of Dh12 billion for 2018 and Dh20 billion for 2019.
Ashfaque Patel, general manager, international tax at Al Futtaim Group, said there has been a tremendous increase in the level of VAT awareness, of late.
"The only way that businesses can have an unfair advantage over others is if they are non-compliant with the VAT Laws. There should be a zero tolerance policy towards non-compliance and therefore 2019 should be the year of internal controls," Patel said during the panel discussion. 
He pointed out that the moment companies overcomplicate their VAT controls, they lose sight of their own businesses processes.
"Keep it simple. A responsibility matrix should be drawn up and different people should be allocated for different functions in the VAT record to report process such as recording of transactions, tax filings, tax reviews of VAT Returns etc.," he advised the financial fraternity.
The biggest risk for VAT comes on the operational side, he said, suggesting that companies should avoid manual intervention.
Nauman Mian, chief finance officer, Bayt.com, praised the Federal Tax Authority for a very high level of CAT compliance ratio in the country.
"It is a great achievement for the government and all the professionals out there. They were able to pretty quickly speed up with the whole compliance process," Mian said.
- waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com
 

By Waheed Abbas

  • Follow us on
  • google-news
  • whatsapp
  • telegram

More news from