VAT Registration
As per the publication of executive regulations for VAT registration in UAE, the mandatory threshold for VAT registration has been fixed at AED 375,000. This rule was released by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) and Ministry of Finance (MoF) who went on to clarify that the companies with an annual turnover of AED 375,000 or more are required to register for VAT in UAE.
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) and Ministry of Finance (MoF) also pointed out that companies can do voluntary VAT registration if their annual turnover is AED 187,500 or more. This announcement has led to the separation of voluntary VAT registrations and mandatory registration for VAT in UAE.
The Ministry further clarified if the taxable person or taxable entity fails to submit the VAT registration application within the specified time limit of the VAT law, there will be a fine of AED 20,000. The executive regulations have also created a provision for businesses to register as a tax group.
With the help of these provisions, more than one company can register their businesses as a group and exercise a standard control over all their specific branches in UAE. The principal advantage of this group registration is to simplify the procedures and save operational costs by filing consolidated returns through a single VAT registration. The business who are registered as a group can file their returns and make payments through a single person who will be the representative of the group. The FTA also stated that even though there is an availability of representative appointment, the members of the group will be jointly liable for any discrepancy happening in the filing of the VAT in UAE.
