Qatar has amended more of its tax framework in the past twelve months than in the several years before it. A capital gains relief for corporate restructurings, a new mechanism allowing treaty relief to be applied directly at source, and the rollout of the OECD’s global minimum tax have all taken effect since early 2026, alongside continued groundwork for VAT.
On 14 July 2026, the UAE Federal Tax Authority issued Directive on Tax Transactions No. 3 of 2026 for Value Added Tax on the Method of Converting the Value of Digital Currencies into UAE Dirham. The Directive provides the first statutory methodology for determining the AED equivalent of digital currency consideration for VAT disclosure purposes, resolving a significant operational gap that has existed since the UAE’s VAT regime came into force in 2018.
The UAE’s free zone Corporate Tax regime was designed to preserve the competitive advantage that has attracted global businesses to the Emirates for decades. The promise was straightforward, Qualifying Free Zone Persons could continue to benefit from a 0% Corporate Tax rate on their Qualifying Income, provided they met a defined set of conditions. In practice, however, the regime has proven considerably more nuanced than its headline rate suggests.
Under the UAE’s Corporate Tax Law, investment funds that meet certain conditions may be treated as Qualifying Investment Funds (QIFs) and benefit from an exemption from Corporate Tax (CIT). The fund itself is treated as an Exempt Person, while at the investor level, natural persons may fall within the personal investment income exclusion, UAE corporate investors may avail of the participation exemption, and distributions to foreign investors are generally subject to a 0% withholding tax rate.
Our highly skilled and well-trained tax advisors guide you through your fiscal obligations in the Gulf.
We are your personal pragmatic partner in all of your ventures. Our international tax experience in policy and
implementation is exactly what you need for the changes lying ahead.
We have strengths in the financial, real estate and transport sectors and use an approach that allows us to understand any sector’s unique set of tax challenges.
At Aurifer, we pride ourselves on our training skills. Our experts have extensive training experience in multiple jurisdictions, having provided tax training in UAE both to professionals and on an academic level. We provide general and sector specific training.
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