DUB(AI) BE GOOD TO ME?

Andy Wood Founder & Director andy.wood@etctax.co.uk

Acouple of months ago I wrote a rather bilious article after viewing a video post about a ‘tax influencer’ (should that be effluencer?) shilling the benefits of Dubai.

In short, move here and pay no tax on your personal and business income. It wasn’t a great take.

That’s not to say I don’t like Dubai or the UAE, of course. Being half-reptilian, I love the sun. Further, and more seriously, the UAE is bursting with business opportunities and the ambition of the region is as remarkable as it is refreshing.

As such, the attractions for setting up one’s business and life over there are not lost on me.

But does our fresh-faced influencer have a point or not?

Of course, historically, the UAE has had an exceedingly light touch (we’re talking helium, here) to taxation. However, as we will see, this is shifting for corporate taxes and has already done so for VAT.

So, can we move seamlessly, fiscally speaking, from the UK to the UAE?