FTA Urges Business Sectors to Align with ‘Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme’ 

A Suhoor event, hosted by the Authority, brought together representatives from various business sectors across the UAE. The event was attended by His Excellency Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director General of the FTA, and H.E. Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al Hawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Investment, alongside several FTA officials. This event underscores the Authority's commitment to fostering collaboration and continuous communication with partners from both governmental and private sectors.

Addressing over 210 representatives from large corporations, SMEs, and governmental entities, H.E. Khalid Al Bustani emphasized the significance of ongoing communication between FTA representatives and all business sectors. This dialogue aims to understand opinions and highlight contributions to the sustainable development plans set by the Authority for its services and procedures.

“Since its establishment, the Federal Tax Authority has prioritized engaging stakeholders in the ongoing development of its tax systems and procedures,” noted H.E. Al Bustani. “Taxpayers’ feedback is valued, and their suggestions are always welcomed.”

“The Authority is actively working on launching initiatives to expedite tax procedures and support the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme,” he added. “This program, initiated by the UAE Government, aims to eliminate 2,000 government processes within a year, halving the time required to access government services. The FTA remains committed to facilitating its services, streamlining procedures, and minimizing service completion time, in alignment with the Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme.”

H.E. Al Bustani further highlighted, “Achieving optimal results in this realm necessitates collective efforts from all stakeholders in the tax sector, actively sharing opinions and practical experiences. To this end, the Federal Tax Authority consistently conducts meetings and brainstorming sessions, both in-person and remotely, to gather stakeholders’ input on the Authority’s development plans across all its domains. Feedback received is duly considered in the design and execution of future development projects and initiatives.”

At the Ramadan gathering, representatives from SMEs, large corporations, and governmental entities were updated on Corporate Tax implementation developments. FTA representatives emphasized compliance with the Authority’s decision regarding deadlines for all taxpayer categories subject to Corporate Tax registration requests, effective March 1, 2024. Taxpayers subject to Corporate Tax, with licenses issued in January and February, were urged to promptly submit their registration requests by May 31, 2024, regardless of their license issuance year, to avoid non-compliance with tax legislation.

The gathering fostered dynamic discussions on strengthening partnerships to further bolster the tax sector in the UAE and ensure taxpayer satisfaction with the Authority's services.