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No tax! - go for UAE Free Trade Zones

United Arab Emirates is a Federation of seven Emirates-Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah - established in 1971. Each individual Emirate continues to exercise all its judicial and political powers except those that are not assigned to the Federation by the federal constitution or by agreements transferred to the federal government.

The federal government however maintains exclusive jurisdiction in a number of areas, such as foreign affairs, defence, health and education while the individual emirates retain exclusive jurisdiction in other matters including those relating to municipal work and natural resources of the Emirates concerned

There is no federal tax legislation in the UAE, instead each Emirate has its own tax Decrees which often predates the formation of UAE. These are presently not enforced except in case of foreign bank branches and oil and petrochemical companies who pay corporate income tax by special agreement with the Ruler of each of the Emirates.
  1. TAXES PAYABLE
    1. FEDERAL TAXES AND LEVIES
      1. Corporate Income Tax
        Presently, there is no federal corporate income tax.
        However foreign bank branches pay tax of 20% of the profits of branch as per separate agreement with each Emirate.
        Oil and petrochemical companies pay income tax of 50%-55% of the net profit as per separate concession agreement with each Emirate
      2. Branch Profits Tax.
        Presently, there is no branch profit tax except of foreign bank branches and oil and petrochemical companies (see para ‘a’ above)
      3. Capital Gains Tax
        Presently, there is no capital gains tax.
      4. Goods & Service Tax
        Presently, there is no goods and service tax. However, the Government is conducting a study to examine the feasibility of imposing VAT. At this stage it is not clear at what point in time this will be implemented.
      5. Dividend Distribution Tax
        Presently, there is no dividend distribution tax.
      6. Fringe Benefits Tax
        Presently, there is no fringe benefits tax.
      7. Fringe Benefits Tax
        Presently, there is no fringe benefits tax.
      8. Wealth Tax
        Presently, there is no wealth tax.
      9. Gift Tax
        Presently, there is no gift tax.
      10. Estate Duty
        Presently, there is no estate duty.
      11. Personal Tax
        Presently, there is no personal tax.
      12. Minimum Alternate Tax
        Presently, there is no minimum alternate tax.
    2. LOCAL (STATE/TERRITORY) TAXES
      1. Stamp Duty
        There is no stamp duty. However, there are various fixed transaction charges for processing of visa, work permit, notarization, vehicle registration and other services from government departments
      2. Payroll Tax
        There is no payroll tax. However, in case any UAE National is employed in the private sector, then the employer must pay monthly contribution to a pension fund at the rate of 12.5% of the contribution salary (i.e. basic salary and allowances). Additional contribution of 5% is due from the employee which the employer deducts from the employee’s salary and pays to the pension fund.
      3. Land & Property Tax
        2% registration tax is payable on sale/transfer of properties. (1% by seller and 1% by the buyer).
        On rented property (residential and commercial) 5% of rental value is payable in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to the Municipality. In Sharjah the rate is 2%.
        In case of hotels, serviced apartments and clubs, 10% of the room and other revenue is payable to the Municipality in Dubai. In Abu Dhabi the rate is 6%
    3. OTHER TAXES
      1. Customs & Central Excise
        There is no Central Excise Duty
        Under the terms of the Gulf Co-operation Council regulations (comprising the member states of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain), a unified customs tariff of 5% of the c.i.f. value applies to the taxable imports of all of the GCC member states as from 1 January 2003. All existing taxes and duties on imports within the GCC member states have been abolished.
        Tobacco and tobacco products are subject to a 100% customs duty, and for alcohol the rate is 50%.
        Exemptions from customs duties apply in the UAE and other GCC member states, to various items including basic foodstuffs, raw materials for manufacturing industries, spare parts for civilian airlines, diplomatic and consular missions’ imports, imports for military and internal security forces, personal effects and charitable organizations’ imports.
      2. R & D Cess
        There is no R & D cess
      3. Others
        Not applicable.
  2. TAX HOLIDAYS & INCENTIVES
    1. EXPORTS
      There are no special incentives for exports.
    2. ECONOMIC ZONES
      Each of the seven Emirate has its own free zones. These free zones have various benefits such as:
      - 100% foreign ownership
      - no restriction on repatriation of capital or income
      - no customs duty for imports into free (but any sales outside free zone will be subject to customs duty)
      - guarantee of no personal or corporate income tax for 15/50 years, renewable thereafter
      - single window licensing procedures
    3. SPECIAL INCENTIVES
      An entity manufacturing goods in UAE can export its goods to GCC countries without duty if its manufacture involves 40% value addition and the entity is owned 51% by GCC National.
    4. OTHERS
      Not applicable.
  3. FOREIGN TAX RELIEF
    1. Fringe Benefits Tax
      Although these provisions exist under the Treaties, they are of academic use since there is no personal or corporate income tax in UAE.
    2. Unilateral tax credit where there is no tax treaty
      Not applicable
  4. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
    In the absence of taxation, there are no detailed rules for such transactions.
  5. DOUBLE TAXATION TREATIES
    UAE has signed double tax avoidance treaties with a number of countries such as:
    Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Belgium Belarus, Canada China, Czech Republic, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Korea, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, , Romania, , Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Tajikistan, Thailand Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Ukraine.
  6. ADVANCE RULINGS
    Not applicable
  7. SPECIAL PROVISIONS
    Not applicable.

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No tax! - go for UAE Free Trade Zones



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