How long does the FTA take to process a tax refund?

Article 26 – Credit Balance Refund Procedures4 1. A Taxpayer who is entitled to refund of credit balance under the Tax Law or the Decree-Law may apply for the refund in the form and manner approved by the Authority. 4 Article amended as per Cabinet Decision No. 17 of 2026. Cabinet Decision No. 74 of 2023 and its amendments – As published by Ministry of Finance 24 2. The Authority shall decide on the refund application submitted under Clause 1 of this Article and notify the Taxpayer of its decision within (20) twenty Business Days from the date of submission of the refund application, or within any other period required to decide on the refund application, provided that the Taxpayer has been duly notified. 3. Where the Authority approves a refund application, it shall, within (5) five Business Days from the date of the Notification under Clause 2 of this Article, initiate the procedures of repayment to the Taxpayer in accordance with the mechanism determined by the Authority. 4. The Authority may defer the credit balance refund until the receipt of Tax Returns that have not been submitted at the time its refund application is received, until such time when all due Tax Returns are submitted to the Authority. Any excess amount shall be refundable once such Tax Returns are submitted, in accordance with the Decree-Law and the Tax Law.

VAT REFUND SUMMARY USER GUIDE This guide will help you prepare your VAT Refund Claims. About VAT Refund Taxable Persons are able to request a VAT refund at any point when there is a credit or when the input VAT is greater than output VAT. Purpose of the Claim Every Taxable Person is required to file a VAT return summarizing the VAT due to the FTA for the tax period. When the input tax is greater than output tax on a VAT return, the Taxable Person is able to request a VAT refund after submission of the VAT return or at any later time when there is a credit owed to them. Timeframes for repayment Where the Taxable Person makes a claim for a refund of excess refundable tax, the FTA will within 20 business days of an application being submitted, review the application and notify the Taxable Person of its decision to accept or reject the refund claim. The FTA may notify the applicant that it requires a longer period than (20) business days to consider the application where appropriate. Submitting the Claim 1. Login to the FTA e-Services Portal. 2. Initiate the form: go to the ‘VAT Tab‘ and then go to ‘VAT Refunds’ tab. Click on ‘VAT Refund Request’ to access the form. 3. Complete your Refund Form: Fill in the form field by field. Note that some of the fields are pre-populated using the information contained in your account User Profile. Please ensure that the information is correct before completing the form. 4. Submit the Claim: using the ‘Submit’ button. You will receive an email notification from the FTA on the result of your application. Once your claim is approved, the amount will be returned within 5 business days. 5. Verify your balance post the approval: Once you receive a confirmation email of the refund, you may check your balance through the ‘My Payment’ tab under the Transaction History section. 1