UAE FTA Conducts 40 Events in Six Months to Boost Corporate Tax Compliance Awareness

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has intensified its awareness activities this year, organising events to emphasise the importance, objectives, procedures and requirements for complying with the Corporate Tax Law, which came into effect last year for financial years beginning on or after June 1, 2023.

The Authority announced in a press statement that the number of participants attending Corporate Tax awareness activities rose to 8,220 in-person and virtual attendees across all emirates during the first six months of 2024, compared to 7,520 participants in the same period in 2023, marking a 9.23 per cent increase.

Furthermore, the FTA reported a significant increase in demand for and engagement with Corporate Tax awareness activities, revealing that surveys conducted showed participant satisfaction rates for these events climbed to 97.5 per cent in the first half of 2024, up from 93 per cent in the same period last year.

The Authority also highlighted that a substantial number of new awareness programmes and activities have been introduced to educate business sectors on Corporate Tax and related topics, tailored to their specific needs.

The FTA noted that the number of awareness events it organised in H1 2024 grew significantly to 40 in-person and virtual events, compared to just 17 in the same period in 2023, reflecting a strong growth of 135.29 per cent.

Expansion and Diversity

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director-General of the FTA, said: “This expansion and diversification in Corporate Tax awareness activities demonstrate our commitment at the Federal Tax Authority to fostering a tax culture across all business sectors, with a particular focus on Corporate Tax, using all available means and channels. This enables businesses to save time and effort when engaging with the Authority.”

Al Bustani added: “The FTA will continue its efforts to expand the reach of its Corporate Tax awareness activities, organising in-person workshops nationwide, as well as offering a comprehensive set of virtual workshops through our website.

The website also provides a wide range of guides, videos, infographics, and materials explaining the legislation, decisions, and procedures related to Corporate Tax.”

“This is part of the comprehensive plan the Authority initiated when Corporate Tax was announced in 2022,” he continued.

“Since then, the FTA has intensified its efforts at every level, in collaboration with relevant authorities, to ensure the efficient, accurate, and seamless implementation of the Federal Decree-Law on the Taxation of Corporations and Businesses.

The Authority prioritises helping business sectors comply with tax systems and procedures, offering flexible processes that align with international best practices.”

The FTA Director-General urged all relevant parties to participate in the Authority’s Corporate Tax awareness events, encouraging taxpayers subject to Corporate Tax to submit their registration requests within the timelines specified in FTA Decision No. (3) of 2024, which took effect on March 1, 2024.

New Activities Introduced

The Federal Tax Authority attributed the increase in Corporate Tax awareness events and the substantial rise in the number of participants to the launch of several new awareness initiatives and programmes this year, along with the continued expansion of the Authority’s primary Corporate Tax awareness activities.

Key initiatives introduced in 2024 include the launch of the second phase of the FTA’s comprehensive Corporate Tax awareness campaign for business sectors, which covers various tax-related topics, offers awareness programmes tailored to each category, employs the latest technologies to ensure easy access to information for taxpayers and supports the business community in implementing the Corporate Tax Law efficiently and accurately.

Six workshops were held in the first half of 2024, targeting Corporate Tax service focus groups, alongside workshops for focus groups centred around the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme as it relates to Corporate Tax, and a series of virtual workshops to clarify Corporate Tax updates.

Key Topics

The FTA highlighted a series of key topics covered in Corporate Tax awareness events during the first half of 2024.

These include Corporate Tax registration; the FTA decision regarding timelines for submitting tax registration applications, as per the Federal Decree-Law on Corporate and Business Tax and its amendments; creating tax groups; general principles of Corporate Tax; registering free zone companies; and Corporate Tax services available through the EmaraTax digital tax services platform.

These events provided comprehensive explanations of the Corporate Tax Law and all relevant decisions, outlining compliance requirements, criteria for determining persons subject to Corporate Tax, and designating taxable income, applicable rates and tax periods, the Small Business Relief programme, and the process for implementing provisions of the Corporate Tax Law related to taxpayers eligible for the Small Business Relief programme.

Other topics covered included revenue thresholds and conditions that taxable persons must meet to opt for Small Business Relief, along with other information to help facilitate Corporate Tax compliance and ensure accuracy.

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