The pace of e-invoicing reform across the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC”) has accelerated significantly during the first half of 2026. Three member states, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman, now have active or imminent mandates, while Qatar has taken its first legislative step, and Bahrain and Kuwait continue their preparatory work.
Clarification of the terms “director” and “officer” for the purpose of payments to Connected Persons under Article 36 of the Corporate Tax Law
Saudi Arabia has officially activated the regulatory frameworks for its Special Economic Zones (SEZs), marking a significant milestone in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic diversification strategy.
As anticipated in the late evening of February 23, 2026, the UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF) released the official Electronic Invoicing Guidelines (hereinafter: “e-Invoicing Guidelines”) on February 24, 2026.
At the end of 2025, the Federal Tax Authority (“FTA”) released a first guide for the procedural aspects of United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) Advance Pricing Agreements (“APAs”).
As 2025 has closed and 2026 has begun, we at Aurifer rewind the tape of the last intense year while anticipating developments in the GCC region and beyond.
Year-end adjustments, specifically “true-up” and “true-down”, are common practices in transfer pricing (TP) and financial reporting. These adjustments are corrections made at year-end to align related-party transactions with arm’s-length standards or budgeted/targeted financial metrics.
Crowdfunding has emerged as a developing alternative financing mechanism worldwide, including in the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”). In line with the UAE’s ambition to strengthen its position as a regional financial hub promoting innovation and investment, legislative initiatives have been introduced to enable crowdfunding activity.
The introduction of the federal Corporate Income Tax (CIT) regime in the United Arab Emirates marks a shift in the country’s business landscape. From financial years beginning on or after 1 June 2023, companies are required to pay 9% on profits above AED 375,000, with income below that threshold not taxable, effectively functioning as a nil bracket. The introduction of the federal Corporate Income Tax (CIT) regime in the United Arab Emirates marks a shift in the country’s business landscape.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) VAT regime, introduced as of 1 January 2018 through Federal Decree‑Law No. (8) of 2017 on Value Added Tax (“UAE VAT Law”), is built on the principle of fiscal neutrality. Businesses are not meant to bear the burden of VAT when they engage in taxable activities, and the system allows them to recover VAT incurred on costs directly linked to the making of taxable supplies.
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