Over 5,000 Jobs Are Expected in GCC After Introducing VAT

On January 1, 2018, (VAT) value-added tax should come into a result for the very first time in the UAE. Small businesses are worried about the financial and functional influences of VAT conformity, especially because they're used to functioning in a low-tax business environment.

While you will see implications for systems, skills, infrastructure and training, there are a variety of benefits associated with the new duty system on businesses and the market.

What's VAT?

It is a tax on the intake of services and goods and has been established at 5 % over the GCC countries. This rate is one of the lowest on the globe, with some countries charging VAT greater than 20 %.

VAT is levied on every supply chain level, extended from the manufacturer and provider to the wholesaler and retailer, taxing the 'value added' by entities at each point in the chain. For instance, raw cotton becomes more important as it steps along the supply chain to eventually be turned into a T-shirt, or the final product.

Certain industries will be exempt from paying VAT, such as medical care, education, foods, some form of real estate trades and local transportation, but these vary between member countries. Export of goods beyond your GCC will be zero-rated, this means exporters can lay claim a duty refund.

Head of Policy at CPA Australia and a specialist in tax legislation, Paul Drum, has stated that it's expected that around 5,000 financing and accounting careers will be formed across the GCC region with the introduction of VAT (Value-Added Tax).

Within a workshop at the UOWD, the University of Wollongong in Dubai, discussing the prospects of new tax law, Mr Drum said that VAT had been executed by more than 150 countries around the world. Revenues government is generating from taxation are usually used to cover general population services including public health, general public funded or owned schools transportation and park infrastructure. "The UAE will apply a VAT rate of 5 % on taxable items which is surprisingly low compared to the average taxes rate of 19 percent internationally. However, not everything will be incurred VAT as regulations make provision for duty exempted goods and zero-rated services to make sure that the impact of VAT on consumers is maintained to the very least," Drum described.

Businesses with the very least turnover of AED375,000 must sign up for VAT, while organizations with a maximum turnover of below the required threshold but exceeding the voluntary sign up the threshold of AED187,500 have an option to join up. Voluntary sign up will be especially good for start-up businesses and new ventures without a turnover at the moment. It is vital for VAT recorded businesses to keep their business details as proof tax priced and VAT they have got paid to the federal government.

Discussing job opportunities, Mr Drum said this value-added tax brings a great news to current accounting and financing graduates and students as this form of taxation will generate ample jobs in various sectors.