Tourists to recover VAT through self-service kiosks
ABU DHABI 15 June 2019: Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) announced that it has obtained Federal Tax Authority (FTA), license for waiver from Value Added Tax (VAT), for all international companies and organisations participating in or holding shows and conferences at its venues across the UAE with effect from 1st June, 2019.
The VAT waiver covers exhibitions and conferences held over a period not exceeding seven days. The waiver also stipulates that recipients shall not have a permanent base or established business in UAE and shall not be registered or obliged to register in UAE as per the UAE VAT Law.
Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of Adnec, said, “The VAT waiver for Adnec-hosted event organisers and participants will further stimulate the business tourism sector in the UAE through enhancing the competitiveness of our venues to host major international exhibitions and conferences. This move supports our strategy to attract new and world-renowned events to our venues and increase our direct and indirect contributions to the Abu Dhabi economy.”
“The business tourism sector is a major contributor identified by Plan Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 to accelerate non-oil GDP growth. Through hosting more than 3,390 events and welcoming nearly 17.5 million visitors to date, our venues – Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre and Al Ain Convention Centre – have delivered a direct and indirect economic impact of more than AED32 billion since Adnec’s inception in 2005,” he concluded.
Self-service kiosks for tourists
Self-service kiosks have been set up across all the ports included in the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme in order to allow tourists to recover VAT when leaving the UAE.
The kiosks are operated by Planet, the company enlisted by FTA to operate the system for the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme.
“The kiosks are significant as tourists can recover VAT without the need to interact with employees,” said Khalid Al Bustani, FTA Director-General. “The kiosks are placed at all exit ports included in the Tax Refund Scheme for Tourists, where tourists can submit the tax invoices on their purchases, along with their passport and credit card, to recover VAT. No limit is placed on the maximum amount that can be recovered if the said amount is transferred to the tourist’s credit card. However, in the event that the applicant requests a cash refund, then the maximum amount is set at Dh10,000 per day.”
“The new service reflects our commitment to continuously upgrade our services,” he added. “Our periodic follow-ups have revealed a sustained increase in customer happiness with the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme, launched in November 2018 in collaboration with system operator Planet. This is part of the government’s plan to establish a legislative, executive, and technological ecosystem that would galvanise the tourism sector – one of the major contributors to national GDP, whereby the UAE has become a major destination for tourists and visitors, offering safety, hospitality, and world-class services.”
The new system consists of integrated mechanisms to connect retail stores registered with the authority and those wishing to register for the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme, linking them to the UAE’s ports of entry. This, in turn, allows tourists to apply for tax refunds on their purchases through the system, which operates on the latest technology, if they are eligible to recover VAT as per the terms and criteria specified in Cabinet Decision No. (41) and FTA Decisions No. (1) and (2) of 2018.
The FTA had outlined several conditions for a tourist to be eligible for a tax refund, such as the tourist must be at least 18 years old; must meet the criteria specified in Cabinet Decision No. (52) of 2018 regarding the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. (8) of 2017 on VAT, and must exit the UAE along with the purchased items within 90 days.
