The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has announced that its awareness initiatives on corporate tax have seen significant growth in terms its activities and attendance, in 2024, with the number of participants benefiting from these awareness events reaching 15,713 participants. This includes those attending in-person events across all emirates and virtual sessions hosted by the Authority, marking an 8.7% increase from 14,455 participants, in 2023.
In 2024, The FTA oversaw the introduction of numerous specialised awareness programs aimed at educating businesses about corporate tax and the related regulations and obligations on eligible taxable persons. As the number of corporate tax registrants grows, the Authority has intensified its efforts to meet the knowledge requirements of businesses, supporting and encouraging voluntary compliance with the UAE’s Corporate Tax Law, which came into effect in 2023.
To meet this demand, the number of FTA sponsored corporate tax awareness events rose significantly to 70 events, in 2024, compared to 49 in 2023, an annual increase of 42.9%.
In today’s announcement, the FTA also noted that a rise in participant satisfaction, with 96 per cent expressing approval of the content and informative nature of these awareness events in 2024. This was up from 94 per cent, in 2023.
With the introduction of several new awareness initiatives and programmes, in 2024, the FTA continues to expand its core awareness activities on corporate tax. Among these new initiatives were campaigns related to the Federal Tax Authority’s Decision No. 3 of 2024, which outlined the timeline specified for registration of taxable persons for corporate tax, workshops on forming tax groups, registering free zone companies, and the introduction of new services through the “EmaraTax” platform.
Additionally, the FTA enhanced its educational content to cover new specialised tax topics tailored to different business sectors. These programmes incorporated advanced technologies to ensure easy access to information, supporting businesses in complying with corporate tax regulations in an efficient and accurate manner.
Further to today’s announcement, the FTA reaffirmed its commitment to expanding and improving corporate tax education efforts for all business sectors through multiple channels, ensuring accessibility without requiring businesses to exert extra time and effort. The Authority also confirmed that efforts would continue, in 2025, and will further expand the reach of corporate tax awareness programmes by organising in-person workshops across the UAE. This will be supported by a comprehensive new suite of virtual workshops, available through its official website, which now offers several guides, videos, infographics, and explanatory materials, all dedicated to providing information on corporate tax legislation, regulations, and procedures.
Ends- Notes to Editors: The Federal Tax Authority was established by Federal Decree-Law No. (13) of 2016 to help diversify the national economy and increase non-oil revenues in the UAE through the management and collection of federal taxes based on international best practices and standards, as well as to provide all means of support to enable taxpayers to comply with the tax laws and procedures. Since its inception in 2017, the FTA has been committed to cooperate with the competent authorities to establish a comprehensive and balanced system to make the UAE one of the first countries in the world to implement a fully electronic tax system that encourages voluntary compliance, with simple procedures based on the highest standards of transparency and accuracy – beginning from registration, to the submission of tax returns, to the payment of due taxes through the Authority’s website: www.tax.gov.ae.
The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority (FTA) reminds all natural persons who are subject to Corporate Tax to submit their Tax Registration applications for Corporate Tax no later than 31 March 2025, to avoid Administrative Penalties.
The FTA previously issued a guide on the Registration of Natural Persons (CTGRNP1) to raise awareness about the registration of natural persons for Corporate Tax. The FTA indicated that a ‘natural person’ means a living human being of any age, whether resident in the UAE or elsewhere. A natural person would only be subject to Corporate Tax insofar as he/she conducts a Business or Business Activity in the UAE. This includes sole establishments and individual partners in Unincorporated Partnerships that conduct a Business or Business Activity in the UAE.
The guide explains that the first potential Tax Period for a natural person conducting a Business or Business Activity is the 2024 Gregorian calendar year. The FTA announced in a press release today, that if a natural person is conducting a Business or Business Activity in the UAE during the calendar year 2024, or subsequent years, and their total Turnover in that calendar year exceeded Dhs 1 million, they are a Taxable Person, who must register for Corporate Tax no later than 31 March of the calendar year following the year in which their total Turnover exceeded the Dhs 1 million threshold, and comply with all their Corporate Tax obligations.
For example, if a natural person conducts a Business or Business Activity in the UAE during the 2024 calendar year, and their Revenue exceeded Dhs 1 million by 31 July 2024, they are required to submit an application to register for Corporate Tax no later than the 31 March 2025, and, consequently, submit a Corporate Tax Return no later than 30 September 2025.
United Arab Emirates Dirham Exchange Rate
