KPMG’s Head of Tax and Corporate Services in Qatar, Barbara Henzen (second right), and other experts during the event.
DOHA: Tax experts from KPMG in Qatar has advised the businesses and investors that it is important for them to review the impact of the changes in Qatar’s tax regime and implement the required changes in their organisations.
Qatar recently published the Executive Regulations to the Income Tax Law No 24 of 2018 in the official Gazette. The previous executive regulations are now revoked. The new Executive Regulations will replace the old Executive Regulations, containing a number of substantive changes with with respect to the scope of tax exemptions and withholding tax application, the determination of the Taxable Income as well as tax audits and procedures. Furthermore, the Executive Regulations have introduced Transfer Pricing reporting obligations the state law in Qatar.
With this in mind the KPMG Qatar organized an engaging seminar, attended by more than 150 clients.
KPMG’s Head of Tax and Corporate Services in Qatar, Barbara Henzen, explained: “The new Executive Regulations have narrowed down the scope of Tax Exemptions substantially and a lot of companies will newly become taxable or will face higher taxes and more complex filing requirements. Exempt entities will have to carefully review the changes and ensure compliance with the new rules”.
“The applicability of Withholding tax has become much wider and Taxpayers will need to review transactions that could be caught under the new regulations and assess the commercial and financial impact of these changes,” said Jain Abishek, KPMG in Qatar Senior Tax Manager.
Imran Ayub, KPMG Qatar Senior Tax Manager, highlighted that the new Regulations brought significant changes with respect to the calculation of the taxable income and the tax procedures. The changes will reshape Qatar’s Corporate Tax System and we can expect tax audit activity to further increase in the near future.
Filip Vuković, Head of Transfer Pricing, KPMG Middle East and South Asia and Uma Patankar, KPMG Qatar Transfer Pricing Manager took the attendees through the upcoming Transfer Pricing journey. “Specific requirements for TP documentation have been outlined, which needs to be prepared and submitted at the time of the submission of the tax return. Tax returns for this financial year end will might be due as early as 30th April 2020, so taxpayers will need to act fast to get ready before this deadline,” said Filip Vuković.
