Dubai: The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has announced the adoption of 100 new digital zero bureaucracy measures to enhance the ‘EmaraTax’ digital tax services platform.
According to Emirates News Agency, these improvements stem from taxpayer and stakeholder proposals and were gathered through 24 interactive meetings and workshops with approximately 560 participants. This initiative was unveiled at the ‘Zero Bureaucracy in Taxation’ retreat held in Dubai, themed ‘Digital Services with Zero Bureaucracy’.
The retreat, led by Khalid Ali Al Bustani, Director-General of FTA, and attended by Mohamed Bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services for the UAE Government, brought together taxpayers and FTA’s strategic partners. The event aimed to foster collaboration, discuss ways to streamline procedures, identify challenges, and develop practical solutions.
Khalid Al Bustani highlighted the significance of taxpayer and business sector input in supporting FTA’s service development and accelerating the government’s ‘Digital Zero Bureaucracy’ programme. This programme, initiated by UAE leadership, aims to simplify government processes, enhance business growth, and attract talent.
Al Bustani stated, ‘We are committed to ongoing dialogue with taxpayers to enhance FTA’s services. Their feedback is crucial, and we consistently welcome all stakeholder insights. FTA has launched initiatives to accelerate tax procedures as part of the ‘Digital Zero Bureaucracy’ programme, focusing on effective private sector partnerships.’
Abdulla Al Bastaki, CEO of the Information Technology Sector at FTA, recognized contributors whose ideas have enhanced FTA’s services and supported zero-bureaucracy initiatives. Brainstorming sessions during the retreat evaluated the ‘Digital Zero Bureaucracy’ programme’s impact on taxpayer satisfaction, explored service improvements, and gathered feedback on recent enhancements.
FTA reported that over 589 development proposals emerged from stakeholder meetings, leading to the adoption of more than 100 service enhancements through ‘EmaraTax’, with 64 already implemented. The improvements include a 53% reduction in required documents, a 55% reduction in data fields, and a 77% decrease in service completion time.
These measures have bolstered the UAE’s global leadership in the tax sector, securing top rankings in both the Taxation and Low Bureaucracy Index and the Ease of Paying Taxes Index. Additionally, the initiatives have reduced paper usage and document requirements, providing tangible benefits in a short time.
