The introduction of Corporate Tax in the UAE

The Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced on 31 January 2022 that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will introduce a federal Corporate Tax (CT) on business profits. According to the implementation plan, CT will be effective for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023. The time to start preparing is now.

In light of the above, we held a 60-minute webinar on Tuesday, 8 February 2022, where we provided businesses with an introduction and overview of this major development, summary of key announcements, focus areas for organizations, Deloitte’s phased approach and feedback from our “CT business readiness” survey.

On 31 January 2022, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the UAE announced the introduction of a federal CT on business profits effective for financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023.

Recognizing the importance of consultation with the business community and other interested stakeholders, the MoF has launched a public consultation process ahead of the official release of the relevant legislation. Input received will be carefully considered and will assist the MoF in further refining and implementing the proposed CT regulations.

In light of the above, Deloitte held a webinar on Thursday, 19 May 2022, and discussed the following points:

• Additional details and content provided in the document
• Tax implications based on the detailed examples provided in the document
• Highlight areas of uncertainty and respective policy options

On 12 May 2023, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2023 issued an Explanatory Guide for Federal Decree-Law no. 47 of 2022 on Taxation of Corporations and Businesses (the CT Law) set to go live as of 1 June 2023.

The guide is a detailed walkthrough of every Article in the CT Law and subsequent Cabinet and Ministerial Decisions issued up to date with the aim of enhancing transparency and fairness in the tax system in the UAE. 

Following the release of the guide, our Corporate Tax team held a 60-minute webinar on Thursday, 18 May 2023 at 11:00am (UAE time). During this session our experts discussed the highlights of the guide and shared their view on major challenges businesses might still face with an application of the CT Law.