The aim is straightforward: tighten the system, reduce ambiguity, and give both taxpayers and the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) a clearer framework to work within.
Refund deadlines clarified
The biggest changes deal with credit balances—cases where a business has paid more tax than it owes. The updated law sets a clear five-year window from the end of the relevant tax period to request a refund or use that credit to settle other tax liabilities. This is the first time the timeframe has been defined so precisely.
There’s also built-in flexibility. In specific situations laid out in the amendment, taxpayers can still submit refund requests after the five-year period has run out, or within the final 90 days before it expires. The idea is to avoid shutting out legitimate claims simply because the timing was tight.
Justin is a personal finance author and seasoned business journalist with over a decade of experience. He makes it his mission to break down complex financial topics and make them clear, relatable, and relevant—helping everyday readers navigate today’s economy with confidence.
Before returning to his Middle Eastern roots, where he was born and raised, Justin worked as a Business Correspondent at Reuters, reporting on equities and economic trends across both the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.