RAQEEB: Whistle Blower Program

The Federal Tax Authority (“FTA”) published a User Guide for the Whistle Blower Program for Tax Violations and Evasion.

Under the Whistle Blower program, an Informant can notify the FTA on taxpayers committing tax evasion or other tax offences in exchange of a monetary reward.

• Who can be the Informant?
  • A natural person.
  • Excludes FTA employees and their relatives up to the 4th degree of consanguinity.
  • Excludes persons who obtained information through their position in or connections with the FTA.

• Monetary Reward
  • Monetary reward will be directly proportionate to the amount of tax collected.

• Eligibility:
  • Information should be credible, accurate, and not previously obtained by the FTA.
  • Properly filled-out Whistle Blowing Form.
  • Tax collected exceeds AED 50,000.
  • Reported person exhausted all objections and appeals.

• Application Process and Approval
  • Fill out the Whistle Blowing Form in the FTA’s website.
  • FTA will review and may request additional information.
  • If the FTA will conclude the eligibility of informant for monetary reward, expect an e-mail notification with a link to claim the reward.

• Key Takeaways

• Aims to raise the level of tax compliance in the UAE and reduce tax evasion cases.

• Promote tax compliance and prevent unlawful malpractices of taxpayers.

• Taxpayers should be prudent and ensure that their practices are compliant with the tax regulations.