Is VAT charged on a sale of a whole business?
No VAT is charged if you're selling the whole business (or an independent part) to someone who will carry it on as a business and who is VAT-registered. Keep documents showing the sale includes the assets, contracts and staff needed to run it as a going business.
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The detail
Under Article 7 of the VAT Decree-Law, the transfer of a whole business (or an independent part) to a taxable person who will continue operating it is excluded from being a supply, so no VAT applies to that transfer as a whole. This treatment overrides the VAT treatment that would otherwise apply to the individual assets transferred. If the conditions are not met - for example, the recipient is not a taxable person, or what is sold is merely individual assets rather than a going business - the sale reverts to normal VAT treatment on the assets involved.12
What the law says
- Article 7(2) of Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017 states that transferring the whole or an independent part of a business to a taxable person to continue that business is not treated as a supply for VAT purposes.1
- FTA guidance confirms this 'transfer of a going concern' treatment applies regardless of the VAT treatment that would otherwise apply to the underlying assets being transferred.2 Based on FTA guidance
What it depends on
Check before you rely on it
- Confirm the buyer is VAT-registered at the time of transfer
- Confirm the sale includes the operational elements (assets, contracts, staff) needed to run the business, not just selected assets
- Keep documentation evidencing the transfer is of a going concern
Sources (2) — read the official text
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Article 7 – Supply in Special Cases9
Read the article
Article 7 – Supply in Special Cases9 As an exception to what is stated in Articles 5 and 6 of this Decree-Law, the following shall not be considered a supply: 1. The sale or issuance of any Voucher unless the Consideration received in respect thereof exceeds its advertised monetary value, as specified in the Executive Regulation of this Decree-Law. 2. The transfer of whole or an independent part of a Business from a Person to a Taxable Person for the purposes of continuing the Business that was transferred. 3. Any other supply specified in the Executive Regulation of this Decree-Law.
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Read the article
appropriate rate. In some limited situations – for يجوز إعفاء بيع أرض فضاء أو بيع، على سبيل المثالexample, where there is a sale of bare land or .مبنى سكني من الضريبة لغايات ضريبة القيمة المضافة residential property – the supply may be exempt for VAT purposes. In contrast, where assets are sold as part of a في حال تمّ بيع األصول كجزء من انتقال،في المقابل transfer of a business as a going concern, the ً فال يُعامل هذا النقل على أنه توريدا،األعمال كمنشأة عاملة transfer is not a supply at all and therefore no VAT .على اإلطالق وبالتالي ال تُستحق ضريبة القيمة المضافة is charged. This treatment applies to a transfer of تُطبق هذه المعاملة على نقل األعمال بغض النظر عن معاملة the business irrespective of the VAT treatment ضريبة القيمة المضافة التي كانت لتُطبق على أي من which would apply to any of the underlying assets .األصول األساسية التي يتم نقلها that are being transferred. For example, a manufacturer selling its factory ّ قيام مُ صنّع ببيع مبنى المصنع وحده يُعد،فعلى سبيل المثال building on its own is a supply of a good and is ومن ناحية .%5 توريداً لسلع يخضع للضريبة بنسبة subject to VAT at 5%. On the other hand, the ، قيام المُ صنّع ببيع مصنعه إلى جانب معدات التصنيع،أخرى manufacturer selling the factory building together يُعد نقل ألعمال كمنشأة،والتوريدات وعقود الموظفين with manufacturing equipment, and employment عاملة وبالتالي ال يعتبر توريدا ً لغايات ضريبة القيمة and supply contracts may be a transfer of business .المضافة as a going concern, and therefore not a supply for VAT purposes. :متطلبات انتقال األعمال كمنشأة عاملة Requirements for a TOGC: For a transfer not to be treated as a supply for VAT حتى ال تتم معاملة انتقال األعمال كمنشأة عاملة كتوريد يجب أن يكون االنتقال،لغايات ضريبة القيمة المضافة purposes, the following conditions must be met: :مستوفيا ً للشروط اآلتية There must be a transfer of whole or an يجب أن يتم نقل األعمال بالكامل أو جزء مستقل منها؛ يجب أن يتم النقل إلى خاضع للضريبة؛ independent part of a business; The transfer must be made to a taxable person; and 3
Written by AI from the FTA sources above and checked before display. Not tax advice or official FTA information - confirm with a tax adviser before you act. Full disclaimer
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