2.9 billion dirhams in tax amounts recovered by citizens for building their homes

The Federal Tax Authority confirmed that its digital systems for refunding “Value Added Tax” for groups legally qualified to recover the tax, including the system for refunding the tax paid for the construction of new housing for citizens, and the tax refund system for tourists, achieved distinguished results during the year 2024, as a result of the continuous development and modernization plans, which Implemented it in this field during the last period.

Approved requests

The Federal Tax Authority explained that the cumulative total of approved applications for male and female citizens who recovered the value-added tax that they paid for the construction of their newly constructed homes amounted to 34.9 thousand applications with a total value of 2.9 billion dirhams, since the start of providing the service more than six years ago, until the end of last year. Compared to a cumulative total of more than 27 thousand applications until the end of 2023, with a total value of more than 2.2 million One billion dirhams, with an annual increase of 29% in the number of approved applications, and 32% in the value of refunds. The number of applications approved during the year 2024, to recover the tax paid for the construction of new citizens’ homes, reached 7,520 applications with a total value of 704.38 million dirhams.

Retail stores

The Authority explained that the base of retail stores linked electronically to the system has witnessed a remarkable expansion throughout the country over the past years, as the number of sales outlets registered with the Authority, linked to the system, increased to 17,847 stores at the end of 2024, compared to 16,357 stores at the end of 2024. 2023, with an increase of more than 9% over the past year, as 1,490 new commercial outlets were connected to the system during In 2024, compared to 1,518 commercial outlets in 2023, bringing the total number of sales outlets that joined the digital system to refund tax for tourists during the past two years to 3,008.

Self service

The Authority confirmed its keenness to expand the deployment of self-service devices through which tax refund procedures for tourists upon their departure from the country are carried out completely automatically in approximately two minutes for each transaction, pointing out the availability of these devices in many major commercial centers (malls) and hotels, in addition to outlets. Tourists leaving the country.

It revealed that the number of self-service machines for tax refunds for tourists increased to 97 machines at the end of 2024, compared to 82 machines at the end of 2023, an increase of 18.3%, as 15 new machines were added during the year 2024.

The Director General of the Federal Tax Authority, Khaled Ali Al Bustani, said that the Authority pays great attention to the continuous development and modernization of its digital systems in accordance with best practices, in line with the country’s strategy for digital transformation.

He added that the authority’s efforts were reflected positively on the quality and performance of its services in general, including the digital systems for refunding value-added tax for groups legally qualified for that, pointing out that the tax refund service for new housing construction for citizens, and the tax refund service for tourists have witnessed successive modernizations over the past years, with the introduction of More facilities to simplify and speed up procedures through digital mechanisms that are characterized by clarity, transparency, and smoothness.

He stressed that the Authority will continue in 2025 to launch and implement various projects and initiatives in the field of digital transformation in the tax sector, to keep pace with the government’s strategy for smart transformation of all services, based on smooth and proactive digital procedures, in a way that supports efforts to zero out bureaucracy and maintain high levels of customer happiness.