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12 December 2016
Gulf states are expected to generate revenues in excess of $25 billion per annum from the proposed value added tax (VAT) at the rate of 5 per cent, according to an estimate by Ernst & Young (EY).
The adoption of value added tax by the six member GCC bloc represents a major shift in tax policy that will impact all segments of the economy and lead to a fundamental change in the way businesses operate across around the region. This will allow them to amend the tax policy and other fees and charges and increase infrastructure investments.
“The expected VAT laws are not ‘business as usual’ and may require several months for companies to successfully integrate a VAT functionality into their systems. It is a unique and transformative time for the region and we are keen to ensure that clients have access to the tools to derive VAT best practices tailored to their needs,” said Sherif El-Kilany, MENA Tax Leader, EY. “Furthermore, we are delighted to welcome David as our new VAT Implementation Leader. David brings with him a wealth of international experience and knowledge of VAT implementation in complex environments,”
All GCC countries are working towards VAT implementation by January 1, 2018 to avoid transaction and sales issues that could arise from intra-GCC trade. Businesses that are not ready by the VAT go-live date may suffer fiscal consequences from the inability to pass on the underlying VAT to the end customer. All GCC countries are expected to have implemented VAT by the end of 2018.
EY has appointed David Stevens as VAT Implementation Leader to help clients with the adoption of VAT. David’s extensive global experience in VAT combined with his substantial experience in both the private and public sectors will help businesses ensure that their business operations and systems are fully prepared ahead of the January 1, 2018 as a target date to go-live.
“While the introduction of a tax may seem daunting to consumers and businesses alike, the overall impact for consumers is less than the usual annual inflation rate. As businesses prepare to implement VAT across numerous sectors, theywill need to invest in analysing, redesigning, developing and implementing updated systems, processes, contracts and business arrangements to match the requirements of the new tax system. I am very excited to be working with EY, as a leading tax practice in the region, during this time of economic progress,” noted David Stevens, VAT Implementation Leader, EY.
“The priority for companies at the moment should be to secure the right accounting and IT talents that have previous VAT experience. As this is a new scheme, there is a limited pool of expertise that all GCC businesses are recruiting from. Additionally, the GCC ministries are building their tax administration systems almost from scratch and will require expansive teams to first develop the processes, and then monitor compliance after 1 January 2018,” said David.
Gulf states are expected to generate revenues in excess of $25 billion per annum from the proposed value added tax (VAT) at the rate of 5 per cent, according to an estimate by Ernst & Young (EY).
The adoption of value added tax by the six member GCC bloc represents a major shift in tax policy that will impact all segments of the economy and lead to a fundamental change in the way businesses operate across around the region. This will allow them to amend the tax policy and other fees and charges and increase infrastructure investments.
“The expected VAT laws are not ‘business as usual’ and may require several months for companies to successfully integrate a VAT functionality into their systems. It is a unique and transformative time for the region and we are keen to ensure that clients have access to the tools to derive VAT best practices tailored to their needs,” said Sherif El-Kilany, MENA Tax Leader, EY. “Furthermore, we are delighted to welcome David as our new VAT Implementation Leader. David brings with him a wealth of international experience and knowledge of VAT implementation in complex environments,”
All GCC countries are working towards VAT implementation by January 1, 2018 to avoid transaction and sales issues that could arise from intra-GCC trade. Businesses that are not ready by the VAT go-live date may suffer fiscal consequences from the inability to pass on the underlying VAT to the end customer. All GCC countries are expected to have implemented VAT by the end of 2018.
EY has appointed David Stevens as VAT Implementation Leader to help clients with the adoption of VAT. David’s extensive global experience in VAT combined with his substantial experience in both the private and public sectors will help businesses ensure that their business operations and systems are fully prepared ahead of the January 1, 2018 as a target date to go-live.
“While the introduction of a tax may seem daunting to consumers and businesses alike, the overall impact for consumers is less than the usual annual inflation rate. As businesses prepare to implement VAT across numerous sectors, theywill need to invest in analysing, redesigning, developing and implementing updated systems, processes, contracts and business arrangements to match the requirements of the new tax system. I am very excited to be working with EY, as a leading tax practice in the region, during this time of economic progress,” noted David Stevens, VAT Implementation Leader, EY.
“The priority for companies at the moment should be to secure the right accounting and IT talents that have previous VAT experience. As this is a new scheme, there is a limited pool of expertise that all GCC businesses are recruiting from. Additionally, the GCC ministries are building their tax administration systems almost from scratch and will require expansive teams to first develop the processes, and then monitor compliance after 1 January 2018,” said David.
© Times of Oman 2016
