Maktoum reviews FTA’s plans, achievements and initiatives

Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), chaired a meeting of the Authority’s Board of Directors.

During the meeting, Sheikh Maktoum reviewed the FTA’s plans, achievements, and initiatives to leverage artificial intelligence technologies to sustainably enhance operational processes, elevate service quality, and assess their impact on institutional performance.

Sheikh Maktoum directed the FTA to begin preparations to keep pace with the UAE Government’s new framework, which aims to transform 50 per cent of government sectors, services, and operations to implement self-executing and self-leading artificial intelligence models, known as Agentic AI, within two years. This aligns with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, as announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to achieve a qualitative transformation in government work efficiency, service quality, and transaction speed.

During the meeting,  Sheikh Maktoum also reviewed a comprehensive report on the latest developments in ongoing projects, the achievements of the Authority, and its future plans.

Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum stated, “The directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed B in Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum represent a defining milestone in our transition from digitising services to the era of autonomous systems. By integrating AI models into the core of government operations, we are creating a proactive ecosystem capable of making highly accurate decisions with unprecedented speed across all aspects of financial management.” He added, “Our new plans aim to transform FTA’s operational processes through the lens of smart sustainability. This approach empowers national talent to focus on strategic planning, oversight, and innovation. The government framework we have adopted ensures the sustainability of the UAE’s financial performance while strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of our national economy against global shifts.” Sheikh Maktoum commended the FTA’s performance, particularly the tax refund service for newly constructed citizen housing. He emphasised that the quality of life for Emiratis remains the true compass for all development projects, reflecting the FTA’s commitment to fulfilling the leadership’s vision of ensuring prosperity and family and social stability for the people of the UAE.

The report showed that the FTA maintained strong performance levels across its sectors and services, including the VAT refund service for UAE nationals building new residences. The service continues to evolve through the adoption of advanced digital systems, in line with the leadership’s vision to advance a modern housing ecosystem for UAE nationals and provide them with the highest standards of quality of life and wellbeing.

The report indicated that the Authority approved new refund applications from UAE nationals who recovered the VAT paid on the construction of their residences, totalling Dhs128 million during February and March 2026, compared to Dhs103 million during the same period in 2025, an increase of 24 per cent.

The report further revealed that the number of Corporate Tax registrants reached 743,000, while the number of Value Added Tax registrants reached 587,000. The number of Excise Tax registrants stood at 1,787, and the number of tax agents reached 936.

The meeting also reviewed the latest developments in the implementation of the Top-up Tax project under Pillar Two, in addition to the legislative, technical, and procedural steps taken to implement the e-invoicing project, which is being carried out in cooperation between the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Tax Authority. The project contributes to maintaining high levels of tax compliance through secure and effective mechanisms, while further enhancing the customer experience.

The report also highlighted the achievements of the integrated tax system and the ongoing procedures for electronic integration between the FTA’s systems and relevant entities to streamline and accelerate compliance processes. It also reviewed the performance indicators of EmaraTax, the digital tax services platform, which reflected the large number of transactions completed since its launch, including registrations, tax returns, refund requests submitted through the platform, payments made through the Magnati payment gateway, and payments using GIBAN. The report also outlined the latest developments in the Digital Tax Stamps system for tobacco and tobacco products, as well as the results of the launch and implementation of its first and second phases.

Meanwhile, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) proposed to amend its Prescribed Company (PC) Regulations. The proposed amendments seek to significantly enhance structuring options in the DIFC, as well as further expanding the role of Corporate Service Providers (CSPs) in the Centre.

Jacques Visser, Chief Legal Officer at DIFC Authority, said, “DIFC Authority is pleased to announce for public consultation amended Prescribed Company Regulations. The proposed amendments open the regime to any applicant, significantly enhancing the scope of the regime, as well as expanding the role of corporate service providers in the Centre.”

WAM