UAE taxpayers can now connect directly with accredited tax agents – including accountants, lawyers or consultants – via a government website, the Federal Tax Authority said.
The new website feature allows payers of the 5 per cent VAT to nominate one or more parties as their official tax agent, who would represent them in all their transactions with the FTA and help them comply with the VAT requirements, state-run Wam news agency reported, citing an FTA statement. VAT payers can appoint agents to oversee VAT registration procedures, tax returns and any other necessary tax transactions on their behalf.
“The FTA is committed to continuously developing its services to ensure flexibility and enable businesses to seamlessly implement the tax system and avoid any disruption to their activities,” FTA director general Khalid Al Bustani said.
The UAE introduced VAT in January and excise taxes in October last year to help offset the effects of the three-year oil price slump, which has reduced government income from hydrocarbons and widened the fiscal deficit.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the only GCC states to introduce VAT and excise duties to date, although all member countries have signed to implement the measures.
Any person liable to pay VAT in the UAE can now link their FTA tax account with that of an accredited tax agency via the website Eservices.tax.gov.ae, the authority said.
The update was introduced following requests by taxpayers for easier interaction with tax experts, and “reflects the FTA’s commitment to constructive dialogue with the business community as a means to establish an environment that encourages voluntary auto-compliance with tax procedures”.
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Read more:
FTA: More than 275,000 businesses registered for VAT
Businesses have yet to register for VAT, Federal Tax Authority says
UAE's FTA extends penalty exemptions period for late VAT registrants to April
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The authority has to date approved 87 tax agents following their successful completion of the FTA exams, Mr Al Bustani said. In a progress update in April, the director general told reporters that more than 275,000 UAE businesses had registered for VAT – as required under the new law – but tens of thousands had yet to do so and the government planned to crack down on unregistered businesses.
Improving the digital platforms by which taxpayers conduct VAT transactions is one element of this, and the FTA said it launched an updated guide for registering for VAT, as well as amending or cancelling a registration, on its website this week.
“The FTA has set up advanced, world-class electronic procedures, and hired highly qualified personnel to facilitate registration procedures for taxable persons, tax agents and tax agencies alike,” Mr Al Bustani said.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
more from Janine di Giovanni
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
