The Federal Tax Authority announced yesterday that the scope of self-service to refund the 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 the air, land and sea departure ports covered by the electronic tax-refund system for tourists, with the aim of providing Further facilities to enhance the leading tourism position of the Emirates as a major destination on the global tourism map.

The Federal Tax Agency stated in a statement that the Planet company authorized by the authority to operate the electronic value-added tax refund system for tourists operated nine self-service machines as a first stage in a number of commercial centers and hotels, equipped with all the necessary technical means to complete the tax refund procedures Fully automatic for tourists.

The authority clarified that these devices provide the opportunity to process VAT refunds for tourists in shopping centers and hotels in easy steps in a few minutes, as this can be done by tourists through electronic scanning of the boarding pass that confirms his departure from the country within 24 hours, and using his original passport or citizenship card The countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf used in shopping for purchases that meet the criteria for recovering the tax, and then follow the explanatory instructions written on the self-service devices.

The authority revealed that the Planet company is expected to increase the number of self-service devices in commercial centers and hotels to about 55 devices by the end of 2020, of which 25 are in commercial centers and 30 devices in hotels.

The Authority’s Director General, Khaled Ali Al-Bustani, said that the step to expand the scope of self-service to return the tax to tourists came within the authority’s strategy to continuously develop its services to reach the best levels of performance efficiency, and to facilitate procedures to achieve customer happiness.

Al-Bustani added, “Extending the provision of self-services led to the provision of more facilities and more options for tourists to recover the tax through various means and mechanisms, whereby tourists who meet the conditions qualifying to recover the tax paid on their purchases can carry out recovery procedures through their residence hotels, Or the commercial centers ».

Operating 9 devices during the first stage in a number of centers and hotels.