UAE VAT within a year

[Dune]

UAE could impose broad taxes within a year
by Rob Corder on Friday, 23 November 2007

The UAE federal government is close to formulating a strategy that will see value added tax added to goods and services in the country.

Research is currently in its advanced stages into models for VAT that might hit UAE residents within a year, according to a government official interviewed by daily newspaper Gulf News.

"We are currently carrying out various studies on the implementation of VAT in a year's time," Abdul Rahman Al Saleh, executive director for Corporate Affairs at Dubai Customs, told the paper.

A new federal authority is expected to be formed that will be responsible for imposing VAT rules and overseeing its collection, although it is not clear whether the tax will be added at a retail store level or as some form of additional import duty.

"We are weighing various options. A new federal authority could be formed to oversee the VAT collection process or the customs could collect at entry," Al Saleh told GN.

Al Saleh hinted that VAT would not be imposed on all goods and services. Small companies will be exempt, he said.

That suggests that large supermarkets such as Spinneys and Carrefour would have to impose VAT on goods while corner grocery stores would slip through the net.

[410]

Pretty safe bet IMHO.

[Trashed Aviator]

Dont forget the tax will be added to air tickets as well.............
Probably levied on a property purchase...............
Could be added to rent payments.....................
Petrol.food.............wow no way to save a cent ..........why stay..........

[atiuta]

To add to the list, Domestic visa "deposit" (hahaha), epc membership, dinner out, drinks out, taxis, all groceries, anything from a mall, coffee....at least federal emploees can afford it.

Love my job but the bucket's getting heavier.

[mini cooper]

Natural progression is that everyone now knows of federal increase and so all prices will go up!!!! This is on top of the stealth taxs / payments you have to pay to the government at the moment.
This will make it less attractive for expats to come out here!

[Thylakoid]

Another one today: Salik on all bridges and new roads!
They want every cent they can get from the slave force.
:ugh:

[mociamIII]

Please tell me what these taxes are that everyone is alluding to? I sort of get the feeling that everyone is saying that there are "hidden" taxes in everything one does in Dubai? Gives me that "cold shivery" feeling and I haven't even landed there yet!?

[ruserious]

Well to start with 5% on everything you import (after your initial joining) either by cargo or courier, they also add on the 5% to the shipping fees. Then there is the alcohol tax, and licence, GST, municipality tax, service tax, visa scam tax, road toll tax, rent board tax, car registration tax, etc.
Some you notice, some you don't, but they do find a way of loosening your wallet.

[Ray Darr]

Yep,the bucket's getting heavier. And smelly. This slippery slope of taxes is only going to get steeper. And smellier...

[taiar]

Not to be doom or gloom, but it sounds like it. Gonna be a lotta empty brand new appartments in the dusty lookin buildings in the ol'sand box.
Greed; its a horrible thing, it brought down empires before, and will bring down financial empires in the future.

[Wiley]

ruserious, you forgot the 30% "plus, plus" you pay in a restaurant - and the almost universal 10% "service charge" you pay on top of that... after which, you are expected to provide a tip "for the staff"... which almost always goes straight into the hotel's/restaurant's coffers.

(Firstly, let me say I know many restaurants have a policy of 'all the staff share equally in tips'.) I had Friday 'brunch' at the well known 'seawards of the waterfornt' hotel some time ago and, (perhaps too well-oiled by the bottomless bottle of champagne that is part of the deal), we were so impressed by the girl who looked after our table, we attempted to give her a tip - for herself.

Unfortunately, she was on a break, and we had to ask for her to come to the table. She was quite literally surrounded by four senior staff as they saw money was changing hands, and it was quite obvious she would be handing it over to the boss the moment we were out of sight. If it was to be shared out among the staff, I wouldn't mind, but I've been told by people who know that it goes straight to the hotel.

Long term residents of the Sandpit will recall the story of the Arab gentleman who gave the waiter a 5,000 Dirham tip at the restaurant on the departure level of the airport quite some years ago now. (For those unaware of wage levels for waiters then, 5,000 Dirhams would have represented six to seven months wages for the waiter.) The guy never saw a fil of it - the restaurant management took it off him and pocketed it when he (stupidly) let it be known among his colleagues that he'd been given so much. At least that story made the papers and led to a few outraged letters to the editor - but the restaurant owner kept the money.

Oh, and if your car is impounded now, (the standard 'sin bin' time being seven days), you have to pay 100 Dirhams a day "storage charge" on top of the very hefty fine you'll pay for the offence that led to the impounding.

That bucket - the smelly one - on the left end of my shoulder yoke is getting heavier and heavier, and thanks in part to Mr Bush and his Peso... sorry, ever weakening Dollar, the one on the right isn't balancing it out nearly as well as it did before...

Like many others, I'm in to counting the days.

[Rabbitwear]

Took you EK Guys long enough to realise you are nothing more than slaves for the cause.
Blinded by a free house and widebody command were we. How come a QF Captain gets about 230,000 usd a year and i hear most EK Captains earn about 100k usd a year. Even after tax in Australia the QF guys are way ahead. Even the F/os make more after tax. And they dont need a free house they probably already have 2 or 3...

[ernestkgann]

You're right that we are slave to the ek 'global domination' cause. Most knew that when they joined. I don't think we can always compare captains with captains. Across the board it's probably better to compare conditions with time in the job. In my case I should be looking at what I could be earning in QF, AF or CX after ten years with the company. The wide body command really doesn't mean much except as a necessary wage step. It does give you the chance to go to a contract position or an LCC but that would mean sacrificing better conditions.
The only way to an Air France command, for example, is starting again at the bottom.

[southflyer]

Ding Ding Ding !!!

Get ready, soon after VAT, there will come the all lovable Income Tax !!!

Stock up on vaseline while supplies last :}

[ruserious]

Stock up on Vaseline while supplies last

Naah, Vaseline will be VAT free, otherwise it would be difficult for them to ram their initiatives up our jacksies on such a regular basis. :}:eek:

[ekpilot]

Buy the big toy now because it will cost you more soon!

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/518598-uae-ready-for-tax-by-year-end

Keep Discovering:ok:

[menard]

Sounds like the big profit share hype is fading away!!!!

[fractional]

UAE ready for VAT by year-endThis is not good news. Despite the publicly "united stance", will it be applied across the UAE?:rolleyes:

[ekpilot]

You bet i will...

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/519060-majority-insight-value-added-tax-to-be-introduced

Like all of these guys. Far from improving here! The boat is sailing away fast!

Keep Discovering:ok:

[fractional]

Expat exodus if UAE rolls out taxes?I don't think so. If it was Income Tax..., well, well, that would surely make an exodus happen to a certain extent. Remember that many expats are still happy with what they get, and they are not pilots.

[Quokka]

I met a local Rugby team in Barista Bar last year and they were all living it up big-time in Dubai. Discussion turned to people's pay and whilst everyone was better off than "back home", it became apparent that all of them were earning one third of my salary... but they were still having a good time with absolutely no intention of returning to their country-of-origin.

Some people are here for the money... and yes, some people are here for the lifestyle.

[fractional]

... but they were still having a good time with absolutely no intention of returning to their country-of-origin That's right Quokka.
Unmarried guys or those married with no kids have no major issues really. There is a lot to do, things like playing sports where there is a smaller personal investment and still enjoy those ever joyful rounds in the Club after a good working session.
The problem is elsewhere; low or medium income families of 2, 3 or more kids. Some may say "tough luck"! Well, this is arguable.
These guys are really suffering and if things get worse, and salaries continue stagnant, living conditions in Dubai and in the region in general will become a nightmare, having them joining the conditions now seeing in the labour camps around if they have got no means to fly home. This spans be span a much wider range of expats well beyond those from Asia in particular. This will also be the local governments' problem. Will they jail them? Pay to expatriate them? Imagine seeing handcuffed and chained families being expatriated through airports and ports or even bus terminals. Hopefully, this won't get there, but... one never knows.
I don't think the guys in west side of the Jumeirah road or those at Emirates Gardens among others are too worried about what's going on with the price rises. Real expensive basic food for basic thought.:rolleyes: