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10 Essential Things To Know Before Filing Your VAT Returns!

HERE ARE THE 10 ESSENTIALS TO KEEP IN MIND BEFORE FILING YOUR VAT RETURNS IN THE UAE !

Confusion or lack of knowledge when dealing with the United Arab Emirates’ Value Added Tax may result in incorrect filings and potentially expose your business to penalties.

As a business leader or entrepreneur, you must ensure your business is aligned with local regulations at all times.

To avoid facing any issues with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), here are 10 key tips to take note of, as you present your VAT Returns

1. Three Calendar Months as the Standard Tax Period.

The standard tax period applicable to a taxable person shall be a period of three calendar months ending on the date that the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) determines. Such a period would be different for each entity.

2. Tax Returns Submission Date

A Tax Return must be submitted online to the FTA no later than the 28th day following the end of the Tax Period concerned (or by such other date as directed by the FTA). VAT payment must also be reflected in the FTA portal no later than the 28th day following the end of the Tax Period concerned. If the 28th of the month falls on a weekend or a national holiday, the deadline for filing the VAT Return or making a payment is extended to the next business day.

3. Emirate-specific VAT on Sales

The VAT on sales must be reported emirates-wise. That is, the standard-rated supplies are reported separately for Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah.

4. Zero-rated Supplies & Exempt Supplies

The zero-rated supplies and exempt supplies do not have any effect on the VAT Amount; they must both be reported to the authority through the periodical return submissions.

5. Maintaining Documentation for Exports Goods

Though the exports of goods get reported as zero-rated, the UAE VAT regulations stipulate that a business must maintain export documents issued by the local Emirate Customs Department in respect of Goods leaving the state. The commercial evidence shall include airway bill, bill of lading, consignment note, certificate of shipment, etc.

6. Import of Services Reporting

Import of services must also be reported under the reverse charge mechanism. This implies the VAT amount must be shown as both liability and an asset. The input VAT could be claimed as a credit only when all the compliance requirements set by the FTA are fulfilled.

7. Foreign Currency Transactions Reporting

The foreign currency transactions are to be reported in AED as per the UAE Central Bank Rate. The official website of the central bank of UAE provides the exchange rates against UAE Dirham for VAT-related obligations.

8. Recovering VAT on Input Expenses

VAT on input expenses can be rightfully recovered only if the invoice is fully compliant according to the requirements set by the regulations and the clarifications from the authorities. The compliance requirements are separately clarified for a simple tax invoice and a full tax invoice.

9. Recovering Input Tax & Conditions

Input tax must be recovered in the first tax period, provided two conditions satisfied:

  • a) The tax invoice is received; and
  • b) Consideration is paid or an intention to make the payment of consideration of the supply before the expiration of six months after the agreed date of payment.

If the input tax is not recovered in the tax period under which both conditions are satisfied, the taxable person can only recover the input tax in the immediate next tax period. If tax input isn’t recovered during any of the first two taxation periods, then taxable entities are required in submitting a voluntary disclosure.

10. Keeping Records for 5 Years

The VAT Registered individual or business must keep the required records for a minimum of 5 years (15 years in case of real estate owners) after the end of the tax period to which those records relate. However, there could be specific cases where the FTA may require the person to retain the records for a further period.

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5 years of MS, more to go!

This year marks a very special year for MS as we celebrate our 5th anniversary.

Celebrating the Past

There are lessons to be learned from the past and I think for MS Group, it comes down to two things. First, dream big! We had big dreams when we started. We made the dreams come true by turning them into goals and actionable strategies. What we have achieved is far beyond the wildest dreams we had at the start of this journey. Second, believe in your dreams passionately, show resilience, learn from your mistakes, and get back up when you get knocked down: the power of passion and perseverance!

It’s about the People

To our clients: Thank you for trusting us for many years. We are honored to have your trust and will work tirelessly to continue to deserve it.

To our #MSians: I am grateful for the opportunity to work with talented, dedicated and passionate people every day. Your commitment to put our client first and to live our corporate values have been integral to M S Groups progress and success.

To our partners: To be in business for 5 years, we recognize the importance of establishing collaborative partnerships that bring extraordinary value to both MS Group and our customers. We thank our partners for their commitment, expertise and skills in helping us in our journey of making a better world.

Shaping the Future

This year, we are entering a new phase as a group. We are creating new services, transforming our operations, improving customer experience and continuing to deliver value to our customers.

The journey hasn’t been easy. It takes courage, passion, boldness and perseverance. As MS Group celebrates its 5th anniversary, let’s toast our employees, customers and partners who have helped us. Let’s continue to shape the future together.

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Women’s Week 2022- Today and Every Day is about celebrating Women around us!

Every day at MS is a celebration of women. We celebrate our incredible women all day every day, but sometimes it’s nice to reflect on the incredible adventure that has so far been and plan for the extraordinary journey that will be ahead of us while embracing all women who are our heroes.
This Women’s Week at MS is all about honoring and celebrating women who have inspired the “women at MS” that there are no dreams too big to chase. Women who have built their careers by sheer perseverance and talent, working day after day to build their careers and ventures.

Women in the UAE are at the forefront of breaking ceilings to set new standards as women around the globe continue to ascend unimaginable paths. Our MS Women meet such women every day, among whom are talented clients who are very effective at turning ideas into reality.

We decided to do something to help celebrate the talented and vibrant women entrepreneurs in our region, so we launched “WomenWhoHustle” at MS.
Having such wonderful women around us has a positive impact on our mindset and inspires us to put our hustle-hats on and go 100% to make our dreams come true. The #WomenWhoHustle make us want to hustle every single day.
Here are 5 women who have left us spellbound with their incredible achievements and uniqueness among several women who we admire.

Our top 5 picks for women who inspire women at MS to hustle in 2022

Nayla Al Khaja
Nayla is the first ever Emarati woman director and producer. She is the Founder and CEO of Nayla al Khaja Films and has created a powerful name in the film community through her incredible work. She has presented her movies in numerous film festivals worldwide and has several awards and recognition under her belt. Breaking stereotypes and continuing to deliver masterpieces, she is an inspiration for generations to come.

Nayla Al Khaja

Mariam Ketait
Mariam has a family medicine background but has over 18 years of professional experience working and leads teams in various sectors of the government of UAE and with the Prime Minister’s Office hence playing a crucial role in aligning the strategic vision with global goals. She additionally holds Chief Design Officer and Chief Wellbeing Officer certificates. She is also the founder of the NGO Chikara that helps with the development of women through coaching and mentorship. She indeed is a true hustler who uplifts other women too, a force to reckon with.

Mariam Ketait

Noura Al Dhaheri
Noura put together her artistic passion and entrepreneurial abilities together while founding Studio Clay that aims to bring local artists particularly women together, support small ceramic businesses and improve mental well-being my being immersed in the experiences offered. She is an Emirati woman on a path less taken, putting in her blood and sweat into her venture inspiring more women to chase their passions and make a living out of it.

Nour Al Dhaheri

Alanoud Alhashmi
Alanoud is an Emarati Entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of the Futurist Company. She is a true believer in the power of STEM to positively impact and improve our lives while caring about the planet and works on several projects enabling this. She is a woman with visionary leadership and is set to leave her legacy behind.

Alanoud Alhashmi


Tanya Awad
Tanya is the co-founder of Blank Canvas that focuses on reconnecting people to their creativity, individuality, and interconnectedness. With a unique vision and strong entrepreneurial soundness to put it into action, Tanya is always on the go to bring in innovation into her venture and promote art and wellness in the region. Her drive and skills make her the perfect candidate that shows us how women become unstoppable forces when they put their hearts into something.

Tanya Awad

As women at MS, we can’t wait to see what these women continue to do, and we can’t wait to follow suit of doing remarkable things within our fields.

On that note, we celebrated with a sweet gesture this Women’s Day on 8th March at MS for our superwomen in the team. The office desks were decked up when we walked into the office the morning. A little surprise that was followed by pouring wishes and insightful conversations, sharing stories of inspiration and discussing how men could be our true allies in fixing many challenges women currently encounter. We exchanged ideas and hope for the future ahead that will see more women reaching heights and taking humanity to the best form.

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Digitizing your business

Over the last year, business owners have drastically changed the way they do business by adopting digital ways to conduct their business processes. That is of course due to the pandemic, more entrepreneurs, business owners, and customers are digitizing their lifestyles. Even as post-pandemic matters are slowly getting back to normal, the process of digitization is unexpectedly increasing, and that surely indicates that we are moving into a new era of a digital world. With the up rise of Web 3 – known as the metaverse, a new revolution of “social media” will most probably overtake. Therefore, for businesses to thrive in the changing global market, it is crucial to allocate a budget for digital transformation and prioritize the digital world for the biggest business impact.

Digitizing your business: What does it mean?

As the world is moving into a more technology-focused path, the demand for businesses to digitize has grown drastically. Essentially, digitizing your business means implementing technology matters into your business operations, for efficiency and enhancing customer experience, which will then boost your sales.

This tech revolution is actually very beneficial for companies. Its main goal is to offer customers more ways to access your business, cut costs, and streamline daily operations. So how you choose to digitize your business will be based on your business’s needs.

How to Digitize your startup / Business?

There are many ways to digitize your business, here is a list of 7 ideas on how you can take your business to the next level in the digital world:

  • Digital marketing

In this era of social media, your business MUST have an online presence to grow. People spend an average of 153 minutes using social media each day. So, it’s guaranteed it’ll make your business reach a larger range of potential customers and increase brand awareness. This is done by engaging in social media platforms for direct interaction with your customers and developing a well-crafted business website, also email marketing campaigns are highly useful.

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

This is the tool that drives traffic to your website. When people search for something related to your business service, it’s important to implement all the possible keywords that could be looked up into your website through your content and backlinking.

  • E-commerce

During the pandemic, most people have turned to online procedures to buy their goods and services, and they still continue to even after the circumstances of the pandemic have loosened up. Incorporating eCommerce into your business is a huge win and if you’re a startup or a small business, there are many local marketplaces that make it easier for you to avoid high fees associated with the service.

  • CRM Software

What is CRM? Customer relationship management is a digital software tool that your startup can use to organize and manage customer information. It’s greatly helpful as it provides a better customer experience, develops effective marketing strategies, and generates a more loyal customer base.

  • Mobile Payment Technology

It’s hard to beat the convenience of mobile payments. Technologies like Apple pay, Android Pay, and PayPal offer additional, convenient payment methods for customers which can boost sales.

  • Creating an App for your Business

Business applications are highly growing these days and it’s a new tech revolution for businesses. It makes it so much easier for customers to buy your goods, book your services, participate in your business, and so much more. Having your brand’s logos on customers’ mobiles increases brand awareness and effortlessly marketing it daily.

  • The Metaverse

This new technology has only been introduced to the world around 2021, and large multi-billion enterprises are already making their move on it. It gives a whole new range for customer experience built on Web 3. The metaverse is evolving and will be the next big thing in the tech world after social media. It’s worth some research and how you can implement your business/startup idea in the metaverse.

Budgeting for your Digital Transformation

Digital transformation project requires a large investment in time and money. For the technology to be executed, it comes with so many hidden costs that may add up. Therefore, securing the necessary funding requires careful financial planning and analysis of data regarding revenue growth and business productivity. However, digital transformation budget planning needs a different process than traditional business budget planning. Why? Simply put, digital transformation is different because every project is different. Various expectations for the return on the investment put different pressures on the budgeting process, along with many unknowns in the transformation projects as they are completely new. However, not to worry about handling such complications on your own, you can always turn to us for your budget planning and financial advice. We study the bases of your business, its performance and accordingly provide what best suits you in your digital transformation process.

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NEW! Corporate Income TAX in the UAE

The UAE Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has announced on 31 January 2022 the new federal Corporate Tax that will effectively start on or after June 1st, 2023. It’s a turning point moment in UAE’s rich history 50 years of successful track record, integrating with global trade and best practices, unfolding an efficient tax framework, while minimizing compliance burden on businesses and making them more transparent.

While the law has not yet been issue, the FTA has publicly announced the key principle and policy choices for the new regime which states:

  • Businesses with financial years starting on 1st of July 2023 and ending on 30th of June 2024, will become subject to CT from 1 July 202.
  • For a business that begins its annual financial year on 1 January 2023 and ends on 31 December 2023, the UAE CT will apply from 1 January 2024 (which is the first financial year the business will begin on or after 1 June 2023).

Further information on UAE CT regime will be issued towards the middle of the year.

The CT will be applied to everyone (individuals and legal persons) carrying out business activities in the UAE, under a commercial license, including entities operating in the banking sector. Except for the following:

  • Entities engaging in the extraction of natural resources.
  • Free zone entities, which will continue to benefit from tax incentives offered to them at the time, as long as all regulatory requirements are complied with. However, the FTA will be releasing more information about the inquiry of registration and filing a CT return.

The corporate tax will be applied to the net profit of a business which is the amount reported in the Financial Statements prepared in accordance with international accounting standards. There will be a progressive tax rate that will be applicable on the following:

  • 0% tax for businesses with income profit UP TO AED 375,000. That is to support small businesses and startups.
  • 9% tax for businesses with income profit ABOVE AED 375,000
  • According to pillar two of the OECD’s base erosion and profit shifting project, this rate might be different for large multinational companies that meet specific criteria.

The objective for this resolution is to cement UAE’s Position as a world-leading hub for businesses & investment. Meeting international standards for tax transparency and preventing harmful tax practices. And accelerating the UAE’s development & transformation to achieve strategic objectives.

Key features that the FTA indicated:

  • CT is not applicable to an individual’s income from employment, real estate, investment in shares, or other personal income not related to UAE trade or business.
  • No CT will be applied for foreign investors that do not carry out any form of business in the UAE.
  • No withholding tax will be applied on domestic and cross-border payments.
  • No CT will apply on capital gains and dividends received by a UAE business from its qualifying shareholdings.
  • No CT will apply on qualifying intragroup transactions & restructurings.
  • Foreign tax will be allowed to be credited against UAE corporate tax payable.
  • Generous loss transfer and utilization rules will be available to business.

Tax rates is one of the most competitive and lowest rates in the world, with great flexibility built in. And as obscure as it may sound, this Is actually a good move that will benefit big companies, tax data will help them demonstrate their financial performance, and will get them to start financing. Full fine print details yet to be announced by the FTA. For any clarifications contact us here.

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Tax Penalty Deadline Extension

Good news tax registrants! The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has stated on Monday 24th January 2022, to extend the grace period for the re-determination of administrative penalties on violating tax laws until 31st December 2022.

That is to benefit from Cabinet Decision No.49 of 2021. Those tax registrants who were not able to fulfill the conditions to benefit from re-determination before 31st December 2021, can now fulfill the conditions before 31st December 2022.

The UAE Cabinet’s decision stated that the amount of total unpaid penalties that were imposed before June 28, 2021, equal to 30 percent of the total unpaid penalties, provided the conditions set by the Cabinet are met. The FTA will determine the procedures for implementing the provisions related to the re-determination of administrative penalties for tax law violations. A maximum of 30 business days from the date specified in the Cabinet Decision will be allowed for redetermination of administrative penalties on tax registrants imposed by the FTA.

Such a decision has been made to provide an opportunity for the business sector to benefit from the reduction of penalties and reducing burdens on them due to the pandemic and to amplify their abilities in contributing to more growth of the national economy. This decision is also a part of the FTA’s goal to provide a legislative environment that encourages a high level of tax compliance.

Highlighting the eligibility of the tax registrants, it added that:

Firstly, the administrative penalty should have been imposed before June 28, 2021, and the amount due was not settled in full before that date.

Secondly, the tax registrant has settled all payable taxes by 31 December 2022.

Thirdly, the tax registrant has also settled 30 percent of total unpaid administrative penalties no later than 31 December 2022.

The FTA explained that the actual penalties imposed as a result of the re-determination of administrative penalties are already reflected in the accounts of many eligible tax registrants who have met the conditions stipulated in Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2021 on amending some provisions of the Cabinet Decision on Administrative Penalties for Violation of Tax Laws in the UAE, which came into effect on 28th June 2021. For such registrants, the new values after re-determination appeared on the accounts of registrants on the FTA’s e-Services portal; registrants were also informed by emails that the re-determination process had been completed.

The Arab world’s second-biggest economy, the UAE is carrying out economic, legal, and social structural reforms aiming at strengthening its business environment and attracting foreign investment. UAE’s vat and tax amendment penalty rules change from time to time to aid businesses and motivate companies to expand their operations in the country. MS accounting & tax consultants in Abu Dhabi can keep your business up to date with VAT and tax rules alterations and handle your VAT registration and VAT filing processes in the UAE.

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CFO: A Guide to Start-up Profitability

It is no longer possible for the world’s most successful companies to live long. The average tenure of an S&P 500 company was 33 years in 1965. Then it was 20 years in 1990. The average company lifespan in the S&P is 50. This is estimated to drop to 14 years by 2026. That’s simply because there are more companies today, and for start-ups to thrive, company leaders must create real value for customers.

If you have a start-up, you must be asking yourself, “How can I grow in a competitive business market”? You must be thinking you’re too small to focus on anything else than selling your product and services and creating value for your clients. As a CEO, you should focus mainly on your sales and satisfying the market, apart from the other million things to get done while running a start-up. Hence you need a clear head and save time from handling other HR, admin, legal, and accounting obligations. Although you may have little experience in these sectors, your first thought might be wanting to hire someone to fill these roles. And if you are thinking of someone to handle the profitability and scaling of your start-up, then you must consider the role of CFO services for startups and SMEs.

What is a CFO

What is the meaning of a CFO service / fractional CFO? CFO stands for Chief Financial Officer.  A Chief Financial Officer is an experienced financial professional, that can offer high-level financial expertise for your goals in a fixed time period. Such expertise can come in advisory or taking actions to achieve broader business objectives. You can hire a CFO or consult with an outsourced CFO service. Which is better? Both deliver the same objective; however, an outsourced CFO service is way more cost-effective for start-ups and mid-sized businesses, as the cost for hiring a CFO is quite high. Also, outsourced CFO firms offer a broad scope of their services to meet specific business needs.

How can a CFO be of benefit for you?

You may think CFO offers just traditional finance services like:

  • Accounting
  • Budgeting
  • Planning

But that counts about 45% of what they work on. There is another 14% focus on specialty finance:

  • Treasury
  • Audit
  • Taxes
  • Investor relations

 And another 41% is spent on non-finance services, which includes:

  • Strategic leadership
  • Organizational transformation
  • Performance management
  • Capital allocation
  • Experience in Data analytics
  • Finance capabilities
  • Fintech knowledge
  • Risk management & procurement
  • Negotiation
  • Conflict management
  • Market knowledge

Will it challenge your expenses?

Probably, but expenses should be challenged, your money needs to be spent on those who will ensure you reach your goals. CFO services can foresee opportunities and anticipate pitfalls through data-driven analysis for growth and this will save you time to focus on other sectors of your start-up. But how much does a CFO service cost exactly? That depends on the outsourced CFO firm, also if it’s a virtual CFO service, or part-time CFO service.

Virtual CFO / Outsourced CFO

But the good news is, outsourced services are mostly way cheaper to accommodate start-ups, it ranges in prices that differ from firm to firm. Virtual CFO services also exist, from country to country, so you can easily find different outsourced CFO services costs that would suit you.

VCFOs serve as a link between the client’s bookkeeper and their management team, offering them financial support when they need it. Sometimes the bookkeeper and the management team are the same people in micro-businesses. Larger businesses can often benefit from having the VCFO sit between the finance director (FD) and the bookkeeper, providing extra support the FD doesn’t have time for or the bookkeeper doesn’t have the training to provide.

Small businesses and medium-sized businesses benefit greatly from hiring a startup CFO service or a cost-effective VCFO. VCFO invests in developing their cloud technology and digital solutions and can offer their services to more clients at the same time, making their services more affordable to SMEs.

When is it time to hire a CFO?

There is no one size fits all, hiring too soon may be costly – hiring too late and you may miss out on opportunities to move the business forward. But here are a few guiding questions you should ask yourself when hiring a CFO:

  • Can you get a Series A without a CFO?
  • Is it possible to sustain revenues over $10 million per year without a CFO on staff?
  • Would an accountant increase your bandwidth and streamline your workflow?
  • Are you capable of modeling future planning based on historical data?
  • Have you mastered cash flow, profit and loss, the bottom line, etc.?

You may have access to the same financial data, but you might not know how to utilize it for growth. It is completely reasonable for there to be a separation between a CEO and CFO because it is both healthy and normal. 

Consequently, contracted CFO services will remain a cost-effective solution for most companies for years to come. The difference between making the playoffs and missing them can often be determined by partnering with an outsourced CFO. 

Why should you consult with outsourced CFO services?

A CFO can analyze every facet of your company and maximize the Return on Investment (ROI) of your marketing expenses so you can reach more potential leads. They deal with many hidden costs in the business. Many people don’t know how to run the numbers, so it’s difficult to see the picture without running them. A CFO growth advisor can identify when the team is underperforming, why the margins are failing, and what pitfalls could hinder the business’ success. After the analysis, CFO advises about the steps to be taken in the company. So, it could be wise to consult with a CFO early enough within your startup so you could have reliable company growth.

In modern days, CFO services have evolved to suit SMEs and are no longer an expensive proposition like in the past, where only big enterprises were able to afford a full-time CFO. Today with MSATC, you can outsource a CFO on a part-time basis in the UAE. We can identify if it’s the right time to bring on a CFO to your team and strategize a plan for your needs. Our team is experienced with multiple business industries and can understand your mission, grow your business, and secure your numbers. We are here to support start-ups and SMEs to grow and including our CFO service in your team will be an investment rather than a cost. So reach out to us today or book a free consultation call for your first session.

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Must-Have Entrepreneurial Traits to Attract Investors

What’s more important in a business? Is it the Idea or the team working on the idea? All start-ups are just mere ideas played out by a group of people for them to succeed – and never the other way around. Therefore, the saying that circulates investors, “Bet on the jockey, not the horse.” As much as it’s important to invest in a great start-up idea, it’s even more important to invest in an entrepreneur that is an excellent role model for the company and the team.

No matter how big and successful an idea is, it cannot succeed on its own. On the other hand, a part of that success relies on the hard work placed outside that business idea. While a few start-ups may need a small financial push or venture capital, as self-funding can only go so far. An investor’s perspective looks to the entrepreneur as the jockey role model in a new business. There are high expectations in start-up owners from investors, which energizes entrepreneurship and leadership roles to play. Here are some commonly mentioned characters and actions to consider when trying to attract those investors:

  • Leadership & confidence: It is important for role models to always be positive, calm, and confident in themselves. The last thing you want is someone who is down or tries to bring you down. Investors appreciate entrepreneurs who are satisfied with their accomplishments but strive for greater goals.
  • Communication: Listening is an important part of good communication. Leading by explaining why and where they are going energizes investors. The best role models know that their message must be consistent, and repeated until everyone gets it.
  • Knowledgeable & versatile: The best role models don’t just teach. They are constant learners. They challenge themselves and surround themselves with intelligent people. Team members will learn to stretch themselves for success to be like their role models.
  • Respect & consideration for others: Whether you show respect to others speaks volumes about how they see you, regardless of your drive, success, and intelligence. People notice If you disregard their needs, don’t show gratitude, and step on others to advance.
  • Charitable and Beneficial activity: It is a plus to work hard, but also find the time to help others in need, raise money for charities, or save lives. A strong commitment to a business goes hand-in-hand with a commitment to a cause.

As the UAE business culture is now inspired by start-ups and welcoming new strong ideas and quality of regulations, it’s already attracting many investors in the region. Therefore, developing a strong character in your entrepreneurial journey and influencing enthusiastic investors can be a huge plus for your start-up funding process.

Role models are people with the traits we aspire to have, and those who have influenced us in a positive way. Through them, we can speak out for ourselves and take a leadership role in the causes we believe in.

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UAE Weekend changes: New Tax Deadline?

Impact on Tax return filing & Payments deadlines in the UAE

2022 NEW UAE WEEKEND for the public sector have officially been applied, as the country syncs its working weeks with the global market. Leaving off private sectors to decide on what best suits them. This is not the first time that such change has been made, and the good news is, this time its in favor of the employees. Having a four and a half day working week, with Saturday and Sunday full weekend days, flexible / half-day Friday working hours, and the Friday prayer held after 1:15pm.

There is no doubt that this weekend is going to boost business in the UAE, the stock market, and foreign trade as it will reduce the interruption between the world markets and the UAE weekend. As well as, this change is a huge benefit for employees, balancing out their work-life balance, so they feel happier, healthier and therefore more productive during working hours.

So what impact does this change have on Tax return filing, payments and other procedures?

  • Usually, tax payment and submitting tax returns due date is on the 28th day following the end of the tax period. So if the due date collides with a weekend / national holiday, the deadline is extended to the next working day.
  • If tax period due date falls on a weekend day, this could impact the deadlines for filing and tax payment.

Therefore, taxpayers should consider the new weekend impact on tax filing, payments, and other procedures due dates. Failing to meet the deadlines may result in penalties.

Important note: This months VAT filing in the UAE falls on – Friday 28th of January 2022

How can MSATC help?

  • Assist with the procedure and requirements of the law.
  • Filing the required information.
  • Assess whether the information needs to be updated/amended in anyway.

For any clarifications, you may contact our tax team.

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4 Strengths of a start-up that will change the world

Start-up fear and feelings of uncertainty, is one of the main drives that draw you back from starting that business idea, who can’t relate? It is a scary endeavor as starting your business comes with many risks, or simply not having enough expertise to know where to start. It could be also the mere idea of handling a startup alone, sometimes it’s overwhelming. As you fear your enterprise won’t be able to compete with large businesses, little do you know that having a small business comes with its economic importance and advantages. So, if you have a business idea, don’t give that up yet and continue reading to know where your strengths lie as a start-up/SME.

The future of business is moving towards start-ups and SME’s. Moreover, breaking ideas are often found in these small companies, as they tend to be more innovative than large corporations. A lot of jobs are created because of them, with new products and services that contribute to the growth of our economy. Here comes the importance of your business idea, as the world and people evolve into new needs, new problems are created, and modern solutions are needed.

As a small business entrepreneur, you have a few structural strengths that you can exploit to grow:

  • Agility

Typically, your start-up is smaller and less structured. But you will keep innovating and improving its models, processes, and portfolio. In this way, you can adapt to disruptive technologies and market changes. As a result, you are resistant to change. 

  • Community  

Prestige and high salaries attract employees to large corporations. Therefore, their focus is often lost on the company’s vision, mission, and values, as well as its customers’ success. But as an entrepreneur, you form a tight-knit community by sharing passions, beliefs, and values bringing diversity into the space. Together, everyone works for the benefit of the company, its customers, and the world at large.  

  • Efficiency

Established companies have high administrative costs. Whilst start-ups provide greater efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and competitiveness. Having an awareness of your limitations helps you focus on your company’s core strengths and partnering with other small businesses. As a result, you will offer a superior value proposition to customers.

  • Adaptability & Flexibility

Your employees can simultaneously be a salesperson and relationship managers. In this way, you can maintain customer relationships and respond to emergencies. You must encourage learning and have a high tolerance for mistakes. Having flexible working hours and places to suit your customers, hence the result is a more versatile workforce.

Success starts with the courage to just start, especially if you’re deciding to base your startup in the UAE, there is no better place, as it has easy tax regulations and tremendous support to boost startups. By 2020, small and medium enterprises represented over 94% of all operating companies in the country and contributes around 40% of total GDP in Dubai alone. And now in the year 2022, it’s raining with opportunities for new SME’s. So, what’s on your mind? We are a team of SME experts ready to consult and help you with your ideas, market gaps, finances, and legalities in the UAE. Book a consultation with us now or contact us.