UAE VAT Refund Deadline 2026: Old VAT Credits Expire After 31 December
If your VAT account holds unused credit from the early years of UAE VAT, the window to claim it closes on 31 December 2026. After that date the right to a refund, or to use the credit against what you owe, is lost for good. The rule is new, it came into force on 1 […]
VAT on Real Estate UAE: Rules Owners, Landlords and Developers Must Know
Quick answer: UAE VAT on real estate follows a three-way split. Residential rent and resale are exempt. Commercial property, both sale and rent, is standard-rated at 5%. The first supply of a newly completed residential property, within 3 years of completion, is zero-rated at 0%. Bare land is exempt. The part that catches most landlords […]
Designated Zones vs Free Zones: What VAT Actually Applies?
Quick answer: A designated zone is not automatically VAT-free. It is a specific free zone named in Cabinet Decision No. 59 of 2017, as amended, and the relief applies only to certain movements of goods under strict conditions. Services supplied within, into or from a designated zone are standard-rated at 5%, with almost no exception. […]