From 1 January 2018 the UAE introduced Value Added Tax at a standard rate of 5%. For most businesses it is the first time tax has touched day-to-day operations — here is the first-principles version.
Who registers
Registration is mandatory once your taxable supplies cross AED 375,000 over twelve months, and voluntary from AED 187,500. Once registered you charge 5% VAT on your taxable sales (output VAT) and can recover the VAT you pay on business costs (input VAT), paying the FTA the difference.
Get the records right from day one
VAT lives or dies on documentation: issue compliant tax invoices, keep them, and record every transaction so your periodic return is a report, not a reconstruction. Businesses that set up clean books now will find every future return — and every future tax — far easier.
A primer from 2018, the year VAT launched. For the current detail — EmaraTax filing, recovery and the zero-rated vs exempt distinction — see our full UAE VAT guide.