Abu Dhabi

Effective January 5, 2026, the global cryptocurrency landscape has shifted with Binance’s transition to a fully regulated structure within the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), in the United Arab Emirates. In this article we analyze the legal implications of this restructuring for investors. We examine the transition from the ambiguous “Binance Operators” to the specific […]

The legislative framework governing taxation in the United Arab Emirates is subject to periodic revision to address evolving administrative requirements and ensure legal clarity. The foundational statute, Federal Decree-Law No. 28 of 2022 concerning Tax Procedures (published in Official Gazette Issue 737 on 10-10-2022, effective 01-03-2023), has been subsequently amended. The first amendment occurred via

The introduction of the UAE Corporate Tax regime, effective from June 2023, has established a new and complex compliance landscape for businesses. With this landscape come novel legal questions regarding accountability. A critical issue is the extent to which an employer, having incurred penalties from the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), may successfully recover such losses

In a definitive judgment that clarifies the boundaries of criminal liability for tax evasion, the Federal Supreme Court, in its session on 5 August 2025, has affirmed the acquittal of individuals accused of evading excise tax amounting to over fifteen million dirhams. The ruling, in Case No. 1570 of 2024, provides a robust analysis of

For almost seven years UAE taxpayers and their advisers treated the lapse of the statutory time-frame given to a Tax Disputes Resolution Committee (TDRC) as a de-facto “no” and went straight to court. The Federal Supreme Court has now changed that position in Judgment No. 388/2024 issued on 14 May 2025. Judgment No. 388/2024 (14

Introduction Throughout 2022 onwards, multiple judgments of the Abu Dhabi Cassation and Appeals Courts took the view that an ICC arbitration “seated” in Abu Dhabi but administered by the ICC office in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) came under the exclusive jurisdiction of the ADGM Courts rather than the onshore Abu Dhabi Courts. The

In a matter concerning the application of Value Added Tax (VAT) to a long-running construction project that began before 1 January 2018 but concluded years later, the Dubai Court of Cassation issued a notable ruling (Judgment No. 685 of 2024) regarding how VAT should be calculated. The dispute centered on whether the contractor could collect

Introduction In a significant development for taxpayers disputing Federal Tax Authority (FTA) decisions, the Federal Supreme Court issued Judgment No. 1322 of 2024 (Administrative) on January 8, 2025. While the law provides a structured procedure to challenge FTA rulings—such as filing for reconsideration, objecting to the Tax Disputes Resolution Committee (TDRC), and appealing before the

In a recent ruling (UAE Federal Supreme Court 212/2023, Administrative Division), the court addressed a critical issue for taxpayers who find themselves in disputes with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) but lack access to essential documents. In essence, the court recognized that, while the standard rule is that the burden of proof lies with the

Navigating the landscape of tax disputes in the United Arab Emirates presents unique challenges for taxpayers and legal practitioners alike. Central to this environment is the “pay now, argue later” system, a framework that mandates taxpayers to settle disputed taxes before contesting decisions through legal channels. This approach has sparked considerable debate regarding its fairness