| Tax Statutes | Description |
| United Arab Emirates (UAE) | |
| Corporate Tax (‘CT’) | The Federal Tax Authority (‘the FTA’) released a consolidated summary of the Private Clarifications issued up to May 2026, providing taxpayers with valuable insight into FTA’s approach to fact-specific scenarios. The said summary includes several key areas of UAE CT regime including exempt persons (such as Qualifying Investment Funds, Qualifying Limited Partnerships and REITs), Qualifying Free Zone Persons (‘QFZPs’), permanent establishment, unincorporated and foreign partnerships, family foundations, taxable income, etc |
| The FTA updated the CT Return form by introducing additional disclosure requirements relating to group ownership structures. Taxpayers are now required to provide information on the MNE Group, Ultimate Parent Entity, Immediate Parent Entity, and the relevant tax residency details | |
| The FTA issued Decision No. 6 of 2026, prescribing additional compliance procedures for QFZPs engaged in the distribution of goods or materials in or from a Designated Zone. The decision requires affected QFZPs to mandatorily obtain an Agreed-Upon Procedures Report from an independent auditor.
The decision applies to tax periods commencing on or after 1 January 2026 |
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| The FTA issued a CT Public Clarification – CTP 011 to clarify the disclosure requirements and key considerations associated with downward adjustments made by a taxable person in the CT Return The FTA issued Public Clarification CPT 012, providing guidance on the CT treatment of payments made by banks in respect of Additional Tier 1 (AT1) Instruments. The clarification provides greater certainty on the deductibility of AT1 instrument related payments and explains the interaction between accounting treatment and Corporate Tax outcomes |
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| The FTA published a Basic Tax Information Bulletin for small businesses, outlining CT registration rules, eligibility for Small Business Relief, filing obligations, record-keeping requirements and penalties for non-compliance in a question-and-answer format | |
| Value Added Tax (‘VAT’) | The FTA issued a Directive on Tax Transactions No. 1 of 2026 clarifying the VAT treatment of Judicial Expert services rendered by experts appointed by the UAE Courts |
| The FTA issued Directive on Tax Transactions No. 2 of 2026, effective from1 August 2026, providing clarity on VAT adjustments following a member’s exit from a VAT Tax Group | |
| The FTA issued Directive on Tax Transactions No. 3 of 2026, effective from 14 July 2026, setting a standardised method for converting the value of digital currency transactions into AED for VAT reporting purposes | |
| The FTA issued Directive on Tax Transactions No. 4 of 2026, clarifying cases where fees and charges connected with life insurance and life reinsurance contracts may form part of the VAT-exempt supply | |
| The FTA issued Directive on Tax Transactions No. 5 of 2026, prescribing a clear methodology for determining the value of deemed supplies of services under Article 37 of the VAT Law (i.e., value of deemed supply except in case of deemed supply to Related Parties) | |
| The FTA released an updated version of Decision No. 2 of 2018 on the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme, consolidating recent amendments to the framework. The decision outlines the conditions, procedures, and administrative requirements governing VAT refunds for eligible tourists purchasing goods from participating retailers in the UAE | |
| Tax Procedures | The FTA released an updated version of its Tax Procedures Guide on Private Clarifications – TPGPC1, clarifying the procedures for obtaining private tax clarifications
The updated guide also addresses specific provisions and the scope of the regime to include certain Pillar Two Top-up Tax (Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax) matters, allowing eligible taxpayers to request Private Clarifications on specified Top-up Tax matters, subject to the prescribed conditions and application requirements |
| UAE E-Invoicing | The UAE E-Invoicing programme entered its pilot and voluntary implementation phase on 1 July 2026, allowing businesses to begin onboarding and testing their systems ahead of the phased mandatory implementation scheduled to commence in 2027 |
| Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (‘DTAA’) | The FTA reportedly introduced additional documentation requirements for Tax Residency Certificate applications under the UAE-India DTAA, requiring the additional documents, including beneficial ownership of capital, control by UAE residents and Place of Effective Management (‘POEM’) in the UAE |
| UAE Domestic Minimum Top up Tax | The FTA issued Decision No. 12 of 2026 prescribing registration, deregistration, and notification requirements, together with the applicable compliance timelines, for entities within the scope of the UAE Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax regime |
| Qatar | |
| Excise Tax | Qatar’s revised Excise Tax framework w.e.f. 6 July 2026 for sweetened beverages under Law No. 2 of 2026 |
| The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (‘KSA’) | |
| E-Invoicing | The Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority announced the 25th wave of Phase 2 E-Invoicing integration, mandating resident taxpayers with a taxable turnover exceeding SAR 187,500 during 2022, 2023, 2024, or 2025 to comply by February 1, 2027 |
| Sultanate of Oman | |
| Income Tax | Oman’s Tax Authority has issued Decision No. 180/2026, introducing amendments to the Executive Regulations of the Income Tax Law to provide enhanced clarity on deductibility of certain business expenses |
| Bahrain | |
| Excise Tax | The National Bureau for Revenue (‘the NBR’) published the updated excise registration manual version 1.0, outlining the revised guidance on excise tax registration requirements, procedures, and compliance obligations for affected taxpayers |
| VAT | The NBR published the updated VAT registration guide version 1.0, setting out revised VAT registration requirements, registration procedures, and related compliance obligations for taxable persons |
| The NBR published the updated VAT General Guide version 1.15, introducing additional guidance on VAT compliance matters, including invoice requirements, the description of supplies, and the application of the Capital Assets Scheme | |
| Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) | |
| Global Minimum Tax (‘GMT’) | The OECD released the 2026 Economic Impact Assessment of the GMT, providing new estimates of the expected effects of the GMT and presenting preliminary evidence from its first year of implementation |