FTA launches new services to ease VAT refund process for Emiratis

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has new services designed to help UAE Nationals reclaim the Value-Added Tax (VAT) they incurred on their newly built residences with smooth and efficient procedures.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Authority asserted that its initiative offers UAE nationals new, broader, and more diverse sources of information regarding procedures to recover the VAT they incurred on building their new residences via the quick and user-friendly e-Services portal on the FTA official website.

The new services offer four different services that aim to raise the target audience’s awareness, provide them with easy access to information, allow them to communicate directly with FTA representatives, receive their feedback, and constantly provide them with top-quality services that live up to their expectations.

The initiative will include a weekly interactive virtual workshop, the ‘Virtual Session’, that brings UAE citizens eligible to benefit from the service with representatives of housing authorities in the UAE, as well as contractors, engineers, and construction experts to provide consultations and clarification about the VAT refund process.

The new services will also provide a ‘Personal Assistant’ service, where applicants can book an appointment to communicate directly with FTA employees about the refund process for VAT incurred on building new residences for Emirati nationals, allowing them to expedite the process.

The FTA explained that the new services include a new campaign called ‘Your Voice is Heard’, where the Authority organises a series of remote, web-based interactive sessions to gauge citizens’ feedback, remarks, suggestions, and preferences with regards to the VAT refund process for UAE nationals building new residences. The service allows the Authority to constantly upgrade its services and ensure its customers’ happiness. In addition, the campaign offers a series of videos and a newsletter titled ‘VAT Refund for UAE Nationals Building New Residences’ published on social media channels, in addition to disseminating the link to the newsletter via SMS. The content will explain the VAT refund procedures for UAE nationals building new residences, from submitting the request along with the required documents to receiving the refunded amount in the applicant’s bank account.

The Federal Tax Authority was established by Federal Decree-Law No. (13) of 2016 to help diversify the national economy and increase non-oil revenues in the UAE through the management and collection of federal taxes based on international best practices and standards, as well as to provide all means of support to enable taxpayers to comply with the tax laws and procedures. Since its inception in 2017, the FTA has been committed to cooperating with the competent authorities to establish a comprehensive and balanced system to make the UAE one of the first countries in the world to implement a fully electronic tax system that encourages voluntary compliance, with simple procedures based on the highest standards of transparency and accuracy – beginning from registration, to the submission of tax returns, to the payment of due taxes through the Authority’s website.