Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor. Pic: Richard Lee/Sportimage/AP
Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor. Pic: Richard Lee/Sportimage/AP
Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor. Pic: Richard Lee/Sportimage/AP
Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor. Pic: Richard Lee/Sportimage/AP

Sport

Premier League: Ups and Downs - Week 10

Hard code to The National staff

November 06, 2012

  • English
  • Arabic

Our pick of the three main-eventers, and the three curtain-jerkers, in the last round of English Premier League matches...

GOING UP

Alex McCarthy, Reading

The England Under 21 goalkeeper is keeping the Australian national team stopper Adam Federici out of the starting line-up at present and the superb late save with his feet from Adel Taarbt proves why. The stop ensured his side earned a point.

Roberto Martinez, Wigan Athletic The Spaniard showed his astute side in the win at Tottenham Hotspur. The tactics, work rate and flair of the visiting side was a blueprint of how to beat Spurs, a worrying sign for Martinez's counterpart Andre Villas-Boas.

Gabriel Agbonlahor, Aston Villa After 28 league games without a goal Agbonlahor finally found the net. It came at an ideal time to earn a victory at Sunderland and take the pressure off his manager Paul Lambert.

GOING DOWN

Roberto Mancini, Manchester City

When your new boss is friends with Pep Guardiola a no score draw with a newly promoted side is not the way to impress. City may be third in the league but draws with teams such as West Ham United can prove costly later in the season.

Fabricio Coloccini, Newcastle United Alan Pardew's side were struggling as it was to contain Luis Suarez in all his pomp, so the reckless challenge by the Argentine on the Liverpool player that left his side hanging on for a draw with 10 men was far from helpful.

Jack Wilshere, Arsenal The Arsenal midfielder, back after 17 months off with injury, faced Manchester United. He managed 40 passes, but no tackles, and then was sent off in the 69th minute.

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Mountain Classification Tour de France after Stage 8 on Saturday: 

  • 1. Lilian Calmejane (France / Direct Energie) 11
  • 2. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) 10
  • 3. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) 8
  • 4. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / LottoNL) 8
  • 5. Warren Barguil (France / Sunweb) 7
  • 6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 6
  • 7. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 6
  • 8. Jan Bakelants (Belgium / AG2R) 5
  • 9. Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) 5
  • 10. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 4
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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

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