• Home
• /
• VATand Taxes
• /
• Business

UAE Cabinet okays VAT, excise tax regulations

dubai - The UAE will double excise tax on tobacco and energy drinks and 50 per cent on soft drinks starting from October 1, 2017

The UAE Cabinet on Wednesday approved executive regulations for the upcoming excise tax and VAT ahead of their implementation as part of a GCC-wide agreement.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, chaired the cabinet meeting on Wednesday where it approved a number of other regulations as well.

The UAE will double excise tax on tobacco and energy drinks and 50 per cent on soft drinks starting from October 1, 2017.

However, value-added tax will come into force in the UAE from January 1, 2018, on a range of goods and services. The five per cent tax is set to be imposed on the import and supply of goods and services at each stage of production and distribution, including what is deemed to be a supply. Some of the key sectors have been exempted while others are subjected to either zero-rated or five per cent tax.

Apart from the UAE, Saudi Arabia is the other GCC country to be joining in implementing VAT from early next year while other regional countries will implement at a later stage.

- waheedabbas@khaleejtimes.com