Excise tax was introduced across the UAE in 2017. Excise tax is a form of indirect tax levied on specific goods which are typically harmful to human health or the environment. These goods are referred to as “excise goods”. These goods include Carbonated drinks, Energy drinks and Tobacco and tobacco products.
From 1 December 2019, excise tax will be levied also on:
- electronic smoking devices and tools
- liquids used in such devices and tools
- sweetened drinks.
Rate of excise tax
According to Cabinet Decision No. 52 of 2019 on Excise Goods, Excise Tax Rates and the Methods of Calculating the Excise Price, the rate of excise tax is as follows:
50 per cent on carbonated drinks
100 per cent on tobacco products
100 per cent on energy drinks
100 per cent on electronic smoking devices
100 per cent on liquids used in such devices and tools
50 per cent on any product with added sugar or other sweeteners.
Purpose behind levying excise tax
The UAE Government is levying excise tax to reduce consumption of unhealthy and harmful commodities while also raising revenues for the government that can be spent on beneficial public services.
How will it affect consumers?
Consumers will need to pay more for goods that are harmful to human health or the environment.
Businesses required to register for excise tax
Under the UAE Federal Decree Law No. 7 of 2017 on Excise Tax, registering for excise tax is the responsibility of any business engaged in:
- the import of excise goods into the UAE
- the production of excise goods where they are released for consumption in the UAE
- the stockpiling of excise goods in the UAE in certain cases
- anyone who is responsible for overseeing an excise warehouse or designated zone i.e. a warehouse keeper.
FTA is committed to providing extensive support and guidance to assist with this; however, the responsibility lies with the business to make sure that any required compliance obligations are fulfilled.
FTA has the power to conduct audits of taxable corporates and subsequently impose penal measures on those that do not comply with the law.
7 Strokes assist businesses in:
Preparing the file based on the documents received by you to submit to FTA on your behalf.
We will provide all the records, information, documents, and financial data to the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) if requested to submit on behalf of you.
Review of the documents if already submitted to FTA and filing a reconciliation to obtain the TRN.
Consolidating and preparing the data for maximum first time VAT refund.