The scope of self-service to refund value-added tax for tourists has been expanded to include a number of major commercial centers (malls) and hotels, in addition to the availability of this service at air, land and sea departure ports included in the electronic tax refund system for tourists, with the aim of providing more facilities to enhance the leading tourism position of the Emirates as a destination Major on the global tourism map.
The "Planet" company - authorized by the Federal Tax Authority to operate the electronic system for refunding value-added tax for tourists - operated nine "self-service devices" as a first stage in a number of commercial centers and hotels, equipped with all the necessary technical means to complete the procedures for the full automatic return of taxes to tourists.
The authority said in a press statement today that these devices provide the opportunity to address the value-added tax refund operations for tourists in commercial centers and hotels in easy steps in a few minutes, so the tourist can through the electronic scanning of the boarding pass that confirms his departure from the country within 24 hours, and use his original passport or The card of citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council states used in shopping for purchases that meet the criteria for tax recovery, and then follow the explanatory instructions written on self-service devices.
The authority revealed that "Planet" is expected to increase the number of "self-service devices" in commercial centers and hotels to about 55 devices by the end of the current year 2020, of which 25 are in commercial centers, and 30 devices in hotels.
The Director General of the Federal Tax Authority, Khaled Ali Al-Bustani, stressed that the step of expanding the scope of self-service to return the tax to tourists to include many commercial centers and hotels in addition to the departure points for tourists to the country, came within the strategy of the Authority aimed at the continuous development of its services to reach the best levels of performance efficiency, and facilitate the procedures to achieve Happiness of customers, in implementation of the vision of rational leadership to make the UAE one of the best and most developed countries in the world by 2021.
"The expansion in providing self-services aims to provide more facilities and provide more options for tourists to recover the tax through various means and mechanisms," he said. "Tourists who meet the conditions that qualify for a refund of the tax paid on their purchases can carry out recovery procedures through their residence hotels, or in the centers." Commercial. "
Director General of the Federal Tax Authority, Khaled Ali Al-Bustani, added, "The new step came to achieve a further improvement in the quality of services provided by the electronic system for refunding value-added tax for tourists, who recorded steady success in light of the increasing demand for its use of its ease and speed of achievement, which made it an effective tool for tourism promotion, Reflecting the honorable civilized face of the state as a destination for tourists and visitors from different countries of the world, because of the infrastructure it possesses world-class standards, and its various features, activities and tourist facilities. "
Khaled Al-Bustani indicated that work teams from the authority are conducting continuous field trips to ensure that the system works in accordance with the requirements and specific criteria.
It is noteworthy that the total number of electronic transactions related to the return of tax to tourists increased to 3.2 million transactions since the system was implemented in November 2018 until the end of 2019 compared to about 1.52 million transactions by the end of last June, an increase of 1.68 million transactions with a growth rate of 110.53% in the second half of last year, and the daily average doubled The number of transactions related to tax refunds to tourists increased by 2.64 times, from 3.72 thousand transactions in the first month of application to 9.83 thousand transactions per day last December.
The number of retail stores linked electronically to the system increased to 12.31 thousand stores across the country, and the number of self-service devices to refund value-added tax for tourists when they left the country increased to 52 devices compared to 29 devices last July with a growth of 79.3%, where the company "Planet" "Managing these devices, which are equipped with the necessary technical means to complete the full automatic tax refund procedures.
The Federal Tax Authority explained that the process of recovering the tax for tourists takes place upon leaving the country where the tourist recovers the tax by submitting the tax invoices for his purchases covered by the tax recovery posters issued from the sales outlets registered within the system along with his passport and credit card, where he can recover the tax without a maximum limit by transferring the value of the tax Redeemable to the credit card account of the tourist, and in the event of a cash recovery request, the maximum limit for a single day is 7 thousand dirhams, and this is done through the self-service devices, in addition to the offices dedicated to refund the tax in whom Feat to leave the state.
The Council of Ministers Resolution No. 41 of 2018 regarding the implementation of the VAT refund system for tourists and Resolution of the Federal Tax Authority No. 1 of 2018 regarding the requirements for the retailer's participation in the system and No. 2 of 2018 regarding the VAT refund system Adding to tourists clear standards characterized by transparency and accuracy of procedures and mechanisms for tax recovery for tourists from outside the country.
The system includes integrated mechanisms for direct connection with retail stores registered with the Authority who wish to register with the tax refund system for tourists and link with the state's outlets, allowing tourists to submit requests for tax refunds on their purchases through the system that depends on the latest technology, for those eligible to recover the tax in accordance with the conditions and criteria specified in a decision The Council of Ministers and the decisions of the authority in this regard that have made it clear that taxable invoices that are refundable to tourists are only invoices issued by registered retail stores that are linked to the system and that are announced by placing posters in clear places on and Destinations to be known to tourists.