Federal Tax Authority to launch new EmaraTax platform in November

Integrated portal is in line with UAE's national digital agenda

EmaraTax is a modern administration ecosystem that will allow taxpayers greater access to FTA's online services. Getty Images

The UAE Federal Tax Authority plans to launch a new integrated platform this year to further digitalise tax administration as part of the national digital agenda.

EmaraTax, being launched after an extensive period of assessment, consultation and development, is a major milestone for the FTA, the authority said in a statement on Tuesday.

The platform is currently mobile-ready, and the app will be launched shortly after the EmaraTax platform goes live in November 2022.

“EmaraTax represents the culmination of several months of intense effort building an enhanced tax administration platform designed to enable taxpayers manage their taxes in a simpler, faster, more transparent manner,” the FTA said.

The new platform is a modern tax administration ecosystem that integrates FTA with other government entities such as the Central Bank of the UAE and national technology-based programmes, including UAE PASS, to simplify the use of common data. It also simplifies a range of user processes, from logging-in to compiling tax returns.

The platform will significantly enhance taxpayers' access to FTA’s services, pay taxes and obtain refunds.

It will further expand the FTA’s tax administration capabilities and allow better and faster decision-making, as well as supporting prompt engagement with taxpayers in need of support, the authority said.

The platform will benefit not only individual taxpayers, but tax agents, legal representatives, foreign missions and diplomats, customs bodies and verification agencies.

Set up in 2016 to help UAE diversify the national economy and increase non-oil revenue through the management and collection of federal taxes, the FTA has consistently improved its services to streamline the taxation process.

In September, the UAE introduced a paperless tax refund system for tourists visiting the country, doing away with the need to retain receipts.

Under the initiative, registered retail merchant tills in the Emirates will generate electronic invoices that allow visitors to claim VAT refunds.

Tourists will not be required to carry paper invoices to claim the refund, which they can collect in cash or have it transferred to a credit card on departure through one of Planet Tax Free's 100 self-service kiosks available at 13 airports or ports in the UAE.