Source : WAM
The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) announced that Emirati citizens submitted over 7,200 approved applications last year to recover the Value Added Tax (VAT) paid on the construction of their newly built homes, amounting to a total of AED646 million.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director-General of the FTA, stated, “We are keen to ensure that continued attention to – and ongoing enhancement of – Emirati family-related services remain among the Authority’s top priorities, in particular the Tax Refund for UAE Nationals Building New Residences service, which is continuously developed through the latest innovative and user-friendly digital systems.
“This aligns with the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership to strengthen social stability and support the country’s comprehensive development journey, particularly in relation to family housing stability, in line with the designation of 2026 as the Year of Family.”
He added, “These numbers of UAE Nationals benefiting from the Tax Refund for UAE Nationals Building New Residences service, reflects greater tax awareness and further confirms the success of the Authority’s ongoing development and enhancement efforts. These include introducing additional initiatives to simplify and accelerate the refund procedures for eligible UAE Nationals who meet the legal requirements for VAT refund, as part of the Authority’s strategy to contribute to strengthening a modern housing ecosystem for citizens, and to provide them with the highest standards of quality of life and wellbeing.”
He continued, “The service witnessed a number of development operations during 2025 aimed at offering further procedural facilitation to citizens. These included reducing the number of fields relating to bank account details during the submission process via the smart Maskan application, as well as reducing the number of fields related to personal data. In addition, electronic integration was implemented with municipalities to enable the proactive submission of applications on behalf of citizens. These efforts form part of the Authority’s comprehensive strategy to support the Zero Government Bureaucracy programme, enhance efficiency, quality and flexibility, simplify and streamline government procedures, and eliminate unnecessary requirements and processes.”
Al Bustani reaffirmed the FTA’s commitment to providing clear standards and mechanisms to facilitate VAT refunds for citizens, while continuing awareness campaigns and development plans. The authority also offers remote awareness sessions, consultations, and direct engagement with FTA specialists to assist citizens in completing their applications quickly and efficiently.
