INTRODUCTION TO VALUE ADDED TAX

Value Added Tax (or VAT) is an indirect tax and also a type of general consumption tax. In a country
which has a VAT, it is imposed on most supplies of goods and services that are bought and sold. The United Arab Emirates published its Value Added Tax decree law on 27 th  August 2017, paving the way for the introduction of the indirect tax on 1 st  January 2018. VAT is charged at each step of the ‘supply chain’. Ultimate consumers generally bear the VAT cost while Businesses collect and account for the tax, in a way acting as a tax collector on behalf of the government.