An animal lover is doing great work

With reference to Kelly Clarke's report UAE animal shelter brimming with hundreds of dogs as soaring summer heat sees sharp rise in number of strays (June 15): every other week, I drop off stuff to the collection point in Dubai for this shelter. From towels, food, bedsheets, even a cat tree. They need our support all the time. God bless Michelle for doing such a great job.

Maryam Zandi, Dubai

Lebanon's sniffer dogs

With regard to Gareth Browne and Mahmoud Rida's report Meet the sniffer dogs detecting Covid-19 variants (June 14): I live in Lebanon and it appears that the fight against Covid-19 is a secondary worry for most people. It is more like people are trying to survive the economic crisis.

Carsten Mirsch, Beirut, Lebanon

Good luck to the new administration in Israel

With regard to Joyce Karam's report With Netanyahu gone, Biden breathes sigh of relief but differences with Israel remain (June 14): after 12 years of being prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has had to make way for his successor. The determination with which opposition parties came together to form a majority in Israel was quite dramatic.

It will be interesting to watch whether Naftali Bennett's new administration will have a good rapport with the US. Mr Netanyahu had a long run of luck, but whether the law catches up with him and whether he will now have to reckon with corruption charges remains to be seen. It appears that in politics corruption is the one thing cannot be eradicated. Good luck to Mr Bennett. Let's hope Israel's new administration furthers peace in the Middle East.
K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India

Best wishes to the newly-wed policemen

With reference to the video on your Facebook page Fifty-one Dubai Police officers tie the knot in mass wedding: that's a great initiative by Dubai Police. Many congratulations. Wish them all a beautiful future ahead. Gob bless the UAE.

Timea Maria Karlik, Abu Dhabi

G7 countries and generosity with vaccines

With reference to Tim Stickings' report G7 summit opens with pledge to rebuild world economies (June 11): the G7 countries should donate extra doses of vaccines to needy nations in Asia and Africa.

US President Joe Biden’s announcement to buy 500 million doses for distribution to needy countries is welcome. However, the world may need many more billions of doses. India is facing an acute shortage of vaccines, with only 3.5 per cent of the population fully vaccinated. Africa has inoculated only about 2 per cent of the 1.3 billion people. In the G7 countries, 45 per cent of the people have had at least one jab. Covid-19 causes untold misery. Nobody is safe until everybody is safe. Richer nations should offload extra vaccines to help the developing countries.

Rajendra Aneja, Dubai

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer