On the 11th of June 2017, the landmark Federal Law Number 7 of 2017 was released to the whole nation of the UAE by the President himself, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This law was all about the value-added tax (VAT) procedures that are now being implemented in the country. This is considered to have laid the foundations of the said tax system that is now bringing good effects to the country. In addition, the Federal Tax Authority (FTA)’s role in this whole new era is explained in a detailed manner for people to know the new government department that handles the tax system in the UAE.
The tax system has brought with it new things that people in the business industry need to learn to keep up with the system. In knowing these things, it is easier for them to deal with and handle the things that need to be understood in this new era although it has been months since the VAT implementation in UAE. There is more to know other than VAT procedures and VAT registration in UAE that business people need to be aware of to continually survive. One of them is knowing the existence of Tax Agents. These people are defined in the law itself, and the information is laid down by the government themselves.
In the above-mentioned law, the definition of Tax Agent is clearly defined in Article 1, Chapter 1. The scope of applications is also stated. Tax Agent is described as “any Person registered with the Authority in the Register, who is appointed on behalf of another person to represent him before the Authority and assist him in the fulfillment of his Tax obligations and the exercise of his associated tax rights states that a Tax Agent.”
To sum up, what the quotation that is directly taken from the law means, tax agents are people who are registered with the FTA and are therefore regulated to help VAT-registered businesses with their tax affairs and concerns. Businesses that need help with any issues or problems they are having about tax can appoint a Tax Agent, who can represent them directly to the FTA. Aside from that,
Tax Agents help Taxable People meet the requirements that are set by the government for the tax system to function effectively in the whole country and for them to prevent any bad records that are concerned with tax.
To summarize the above, below are the duties and responsibilities of Tax Agents when appointed by Taxable People to assist them:
It should be noted that the FTA is authorized to use the documents or records of a Taxable Person for tax audit purposes.
Taxable People are allowed to appoint Tax Agents when necessary for direct representation to the FTA. This is all stated in Article 15, Part 2, Chapter 2 of the above-mentioned law.
When a Taxable Person has informed the FTA of the canceled or terminated contract between them and a certain Tax Agent, the latter is not authorized anymore to deal directly with the FTA on behalf of the said Taxable Person.
Things will be easier for businesses who are registered for VAT to deal with tax-related concerns and matters as Tax Agents are regulated by the FTA and are passers of the high standard of requirements that the FTA has set.
If you are in search of VAT consultants in Dubai or any city in the UAE, you can certainly contact Farahat & Co. now for a free consultation. We can act as your Tax Agent as well because we have been regulated and authorized by the FTA. We can handle your tax affairs and represent you directly to the FTA when needed.
